


Thinking About You

by FFisoline



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Out of Character, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 21:05:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 184,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12465944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FFisoline/pseuds/FFisoline
Summary: A wedding to attend to, flashbacks of a past love interest, unsettled emotions and all that other typical romantic clichés. But the biggest and greatest cliché of them all is; Haruno Sakura falling in love with Uchiha Sasuke. (contains coarse language and suggestive themes)





	1. 1.1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or any of the songs featured in this story. They belong to their respective artist. No infringement on their respective copyrights is intended by the author in any way, shape or form. This manuscript is written solely for the author’s own amusement and the entertainment of the readers. It is not for profit. Any resemblance to real organizations, institutions, products or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.**

This story is also posted on my FanFiction.net account under the username **isoline**.

This is my first time writing:

\- A fan fiction

\- A long story

\- In English

~An insert song (for better feels) / sound effects~

"Dialogue"

_("People talking are within earshot but not visible. They are either in another room or not the focal point of the scene.")_

'Stressed words or dialogues'

'Something that is written or being read; notes, signs, labels'

' _Voice is heard through the receiver or speaker of a phone'_

_*text or e-mail*_

**/"Main characters recollection of something she or someone else said (Basically, a flashback within the flashback)"/**

**['Main character's thoughts or monologues']**

… - brief/prolonged silence

**(1.1)**

**THINKING ABOUT**

" ** _That… Uchiha Sasuke"_**

**_Noir_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

~Screech/Squeak/Whooshaaa~

A young woman with rose gold hair and green eyes comes to the bus driver's view. She was lean, more or less a hundred and sixty five centimeters in height and hardly had any make-up on. She wore a plain light yellow shirt under her red coat, black skinny jeans and a pair of black boots with red laces.

She smiled at the driver as she got on the bus. Tucking some strands of hair that escaped her ponytail behind her ear, she made her way to one of the many vacant seats.

She unstrapped her yellow tote bag before flopping down on a seat and then she opened her bag and began rummaging through its contents.

More commuters follow behind her, filling up the bus. A man sat beside her so she scooted closer to the window to give the man more space, smiling at him while she's at it.

She pulled out her earphones and connected it to her phone. She starts going through her playlist as she was putting the ear speakers on.

She stopped as soon as she read the title of that one song. She hesitates.

The bus moves forward and she is freed from her thoughts. She tapped the phone screen as if it was nothing. Leaning back, she allowed the melody and the lyrics of the song, put into words, what has been occupying her mind.

~ _Found myself in a house we've never been before_

_I'm wasted and I'm dancing dizzily_

_I know you would think I'm so far out of character_

_Cause you know me_

_I guess I came here looking for distraction_

_In a part of town we never used to go_

_Keep my body busy so my head might just forget_

_What my heart knows_

_And all I'm thinking about, is not thinking about you_

_All I'm thinking about, is not thinking about you_

_If only I could lose my mind_

_Then maybe I would find a way out_

_But all I'm thinking about, is not thinking about you_

_I'm thinking about you and you seem so unaffected_

_And I'm fighting not to feel, but nothing works_

_Been chasing temporary highs from strangers_

_And I'm tired_

_I don't know how emptiness can be this heavy_

_And your absence be so unavoidable_

_Funny how the hurt is never equal_

_When it all falls_

_Now all I'm thinking about, is not thinking about you_

_All I'm thinking about, is not thinking about you_

_If only I could lose my mind_

_Then maybe I would find a way out_

_But all I'm thinking about, is not thinking about you_

_I'm thinking about you_

_And all I'm thinking about, is not thinking about you_

_All I'm thinking about, is not thinking about you_

_If only I could lose my mind_

_Then maybe I would find a way out_

_But all I'm thinking about, is not thinking about you_

_I'm thinking about you_

_Not thinking about you_

_Not thinking about you_

_I'm thinking about you_

_(THINKING ABOUT - Lauren Aquilina)_ ~

Throughout the entire ride, she just gazed outside the window. Purple and gold hues were slowly being washed away by a vast blue. Silhouettes of buildings and structures changed into a detailed picturesque view as the sky lit up.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Lights go out, one after another. The street was just starting to come to life as the young woman walked across. She slowed down to let a kid in a bicycle pass then stepped into the sidewalk just as young man opened the door of the store she's headed to.

"Hey.", he greeted her. A dog followed him as he stepped out.

"Good morning!", she greeted back, walking towards the entrance.

"Sakura's here.", yelled the man as he looked back inside the store and then he made a move to raise the metal shutters.

Sakura reached the door just as a beautiful woman appeared to welcome her inside.

**.**

**.**

**.**

It was a goods shop with a variety of items to sell. There were apparels, rare delicacies, table ornaments, vases, and an entire wall of shelves dedicated to both imported and local leading fine liquors and beverages.

A young woman around her age found an expensive looking sake bottle and brought it to the old woman behind the counter.

The old woman nodded in approval and had it bagged. She then had it placed on top of the counter in front of Sakura.

"For Dr. Tsunade.", the old woman told her.

"Oh. Okay. I'll make sure to give it to her.", said Sakura.

The woman from earlier walked in from the back room carrying a big box. "Here you go Dr. Haruno-" she noticed that Sakura looked like she was about to protest and corrected herself, "I mean... Sakura."

Smiling, Sakura approached her and opened the box as soon as the woman had placed it on a table. Her face lit up as she lifted a dress from the box. It was a celadon silk empire waist dress. It had capped sleeves and a bateau neckline with a fisheye keyhole design at the back.

"It's beautiful.", she commented.

She walked towards a full body mirror and held the dress in front of her chest as she checked her reflection. "Are you sure I can borrow this?"

The woman shrugged, a gentle smile plastered on her face. "You can have it! It's a present. It doesn't fit me or my sister. It would be a waste to just keep it in the storage room anyway."

"Oh no, I couldn't. I mean, it looks brand new." Sakura placed the dress back in the box "Wouldn't you rather put it up on display?"

"It's fine. I insist.", said the woman.

"Take it Sakura.", the younger sister joined them. "It's in your size. It suits your taste. This dress was meant to be worn by you."

The woman placed the lid back on the box and secured it with some tape. "So, when is the Wedding?"

"This Sunday.", answered Sakura.

"Who's getting married?", The young man from earlier entered the store and walked towards the youngest of the two sisters.

"Sakura's friend.", the girl answered him.

"Your friends are getting married.", the old lady spoke from behind the counter. "What about you? No plans to settle down soon?"

Sakura sighed and walked back towards the counter. "No Granny. I'm still in my second year of training. I still have a long way to go. It's much too early for me to be thinking about 'settling down'... Besides, I don't even have a boyfriend."

"You were single all this time?!" The old lady seemed surprised. "Oh, I know! Let me to introduce you to someone? I happen to know the perfect guy-"

"Good luck with that Granny.", the man interrupted her. "We've been trying to get her to date our guy for a while now. She's not even interested to hear his name."

"Who?!" wondered the old woman. "Surely he's not as charming and as handsome as my boy?!"

The young woman snorted. "Actually-"

"That's enough.", the elder sister silenced her. "Sakura is not ready-"

"Interested!" it was her turn to be interrupted by Sakura. "Thanks guys. I appreciate that you're all looking out for me. And Granny, _he_ sounds... err... wonderful!" Sakura rolled her eyes. "But no thank you. I really want to focus on my career for now."

Just then, a young boy - about eleven to thirteen years of age - appeared from the back room. "Mom, I'm off to school.", the boy told the woman.

"Okay Jun. Be careful." his mother turned to him.

The boy waved at everyone else as he walked towards the door.

"Later.", he told the couple then glanced at the counter. "Bye Granny. Miss Sakura. I'll go ahead now."

Sakura smiled at the boy in response.

"I have to go as well.", Sakura remembered. She went for her coat and her bag. "We're not done talking about that dress by the way. At least let me pay for it...well… Let's continue talking about it when I get back."

The young man picked up the grocery bag with the liquor in it and the box. "Here, I'll walk you out."

"Give my regards to Dr. Tsunade." the old women waved at her.

"Thanks again." Sakura waved goodbye at everyone as she walked out the door with the young man.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura knocked on a door.

"Come in!" came a confident female voice from the other side.

She opened the door and walked inside the office - now wearing hospital scrubs and a pair of white clogs.

"Good morning Dr. Tsunade. Dr. Shizune.", she greeted the two women - in darker scrubs and lab coats - that was discussing something by the desk.

"Good morning.", the brown haired woman with a bobbed haircut greeted back while the well-endowed, honey eyed blonde, who was sitting behind the desk, nodded.

"So, did one of her granddaughter have a dress for you?", asked the blonde woman.

"Ah yes, Dr. Tsunade.", answered Sakura. "Granny sends her regards, by the way." She lifted the bag with the bottle of Sake in it.

"I see. I'll be sure to thank her later."

"How's everyone?", wondered the brown haired woman as she moved towards Sakura.

"Everyone's good and the same as usual.", she answered, handing the bag to her.

"Are they still trying to get you to date?"

"Oh, uhm… Yes."

**.**

**.**

**.**

"We'll come back again later.", said Tsunade as she stepped into the hallway, coming from inside one of the hospital rooms. Sakura was behind her.

"Thank you Dr. Tsunade. Dr. Haruno.", came a voice from inside the room.

Tsunade hands Sakura the patient chart and both went their own way.

As Sakura was walking away with her back turned, a little boy ran pass her.

"Wait for me.", yelled a little girl and the boy slowed down.

"Tck!", the boy clucked. "Annoying!"

Sakura halted and stilled.

An image flashed in her mind - the silhouette of a boy and a girl.

…

**/"You're Annoying!"/**

…

She heard these words in her head, spoken with a voice she is more familiar with and in a manner only that one person could use with her.

The little boy waits for the little girl to catch up. He then held her hand and the two of them ran together to where they were headed to, leaving Sakura frozen in the hospital corridor.

…

**/"Sakura."/**

…

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

"Sakura-san!"

Eighteen years old Sakura - wearing a high school uniform - turned around revealing an irritated look on her face, her braided pigtails flipping in the process.

"What?!", she snapped at a boy with prominent thick eyebrows and a bowl cut hairstyle.

He was bashful but tried to talk to her anyway. "Oh... ah, Fancy meeting you here... my fair lady. I was wondering if you would like to-"

Sakura did not even bother to hide her irritation. "Lee! For the hundredth time! I'm not interested to go out with you! I already have someone that I like!" she eyed the boy up and down in disgust.

The boy seemed to only blush more with her glare.

"Leave me alone!", she sneered.

"I see. Perhaps another time then.", the boy said then winked at her.

Sakura got angrier. "Which part of 'I'm not interested!' don't you understand?!", she yelled.

"No yelling in the hallway!" A tall, silver haired man, wearing a surgical mask, walked in on their conversation.

"Kakashi-sensei?! Err... Good morning!", Sakura greeted the man as her hand reached for her hairclips.

"Good morning sir!", the boy named Lee followed suit.

"Isn't it about time you two head to class?", the man implied.

"Yes sir!", Lee answered and went inside a classroom first.

Sakura was right behind him when she noticed that the man was about to enter the same room.

**.**

**.**

**.**

When Kakashi opened the door, the students inside the classroom turned to him with quizzical looks.

"Kurenai-sensei is not coming in today. Take your seats.", he announced just as Sakura entered the room via the other door.

The students went to their respective seats as Kakashi moved towards the podium.

"I have two important announcements.", said Kakashi as he laid his file folder down on the podium. "First, Kurenai-sensei will not be coming to school for a while."

The room was suddenly filled with curious and worried reactions.

Kakashi raised his hands to gesture the students to calm down and let him finish first. "She's neither ill nor quitting. She's just... with child."

There was suddenly giggling and snickering among the students. A faint 'Way the go, Asuma-sensei!' was the last words heard as the noise died down and everyone's attention was back on Kakashi.

"As it turns out, she is really sensitive with her pregnancy so her doctor advised her to take a break from work. And so, I will be standing in for her as your adviser. I will also be the one to teach you…" Kakashi checked a note he had inside his file folder. He sighed before finishing his sentence, "Math."

"No Math with Kurenai-sensei?", the students whispered among themselves.

"No more Math with Kurenai-sensei!" a tanned skin, blue-eyed, blonde boy beamed.

The students matched his enthusiasm and roared in celebration.

"It's the best day of my life!", the boy named Lee shouted. He had both of his fists up in the air, tears forming in his eyes.

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed. He looked at a boy with black hair, neatly tied back in a high pony tail - his head resembled a pineapple - for an answer.

The boy yawned before giving him an explanation. "Rumor has it, when Kurenai-sensei teach math, students with average and below intellect, would just see the number spiral in their head and feel like they're caught in a different world.", he explained lazily. "People have passed out before, with foam in their mouths."

"Oh." Kakashi gave them a moment to celebrate. He took in the sight of the students who looked like they were having a festival until he had enough. "All right, that's enough! ... Now, for my second announcement… So, I want to talk about the results of your mid-term exams. I'm sure you've seen the results yourself. They posted it last Monday. As you're all aware, some of you did not do so well. … I also asked Kurenai-sensei for the names of students that require... _attention_. And it just so happens that those students that I need to give my attention to, are the very same students who failed to get a passing score on the previous exams. … There are five of them and their names are on this list.", said Kakashi as he produced a paper from his file folder.

"I will now call the names of these students and read out the remarks. Starting with… Rock Lee. … 'You don't do well academically but because you got in Konoha High School through your athletic scholarship, the teachers have been… very considerate with you. A martial arts prodigy without a doubt however, you have gotten yourself banned from all high school level competitions. With that, your college recommendations along with your privileges had been revoked. _'_ ", he read. "Work on your academics from now on, if you really want to move forward. You might get another chance to prove yourself again in collegiate tournaments."

Lee bowed his head but brightened up when he saw that Sakura was looking at him. He smiled and winked at her - giving her a massive chill.

"Tenten.", Kakashi called a girl with brown hair tied in two buns. He started reading again, "Also an athletic scholar. 'Your skills are excellent and you can go pro, but the college you are aiming for, prefers students with also high academic achievements.' Try your best to balance your grades with your athletic career."

The girl smiled weakly, "Right."

"Sabaku Temari... Sabaku?!", Kakashi re-read for confirmation.

All the students looked at a girl with teal eyes and thick blonde hair tied in four pigtails. She wore her uniform differently and her skirt was very long.

Kakashi looked at the paper and hesitantly spoke, "There's only one word written down here. _'_ Delinquent.' "

"Hmp!" the girl raised her chin.

Kakashi cleared his throat then continued, "Uzumaki Naruto."

"What?!", the noisy blonde from before gasped. "I thought I was doing better? I Know I've improved!"

"Not enough to make the cut, apparently.", Kakashi countered.

"So what do I have to work on?"

"Everything.", Kakashi said flatly. "Uzumaki, now that you don't have student council duties, focus more on your studies, will you?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Kakashi looked back at the list and had a brief pause before saying, "Finally, we have... Uchiha Sasuke who wasn't able to take the exams at all..."

At the mention of the name, the atmosphere in the class changed. Naruto's face suddenly turned serious. The other students looked at him as if gauging his reaction.

Kakashi's eyes wandered to an empty seat "...And he is either still absent or running very late again today." He put the list aside and took out a thick folded paper from his file folder and a roll of tape from his pocket. "Class rep.", he called.

"Sir?", The lazy boy looked at him.

"Put this up on the board.", instructed Kakashi as he held out the paper and the roll of tape to him.

The boy sighed and lazily complied while mumbling, 'Troublesome.'

"Who's the other one?", asked Kakashi as the boy took the items out of his hand.

A shy girl - with long black hair and fringe neatly cut just above her eyebrows - raised her hand.

Kakashi nodded and looked at the boy behind her. "Uzumaki, help him."

Naruto stood up and walked towards the other boy to help him unfold the paper.

"Be careful not to peel it off and no peeking.", Kakashi told them.

The two boys unfolded the long paper revealing two tables with two rows each. The first table had fifteen columns and the second had five. Forty cells all in all. The top row had something written on each cells but it was covered by a peelable layer.

Kakashi then, addressed the students again. "Since you've been a student of Konoha high school for two years now, I'm sure you've heard about me and this method of 'pairing' I implement on all of the classes I've handled in all my years of teaching here in this school… The fact that I am your temporary adviser makes you _my class_. And in my class, we are a team. Now, the worst kinds of people in my team are not the ones who can't keep up. It's those who let their teammates fall behind."

Kakashi gave the students a moment to take in what he just said.

"I will group you into pairs. There are forty students in this class. The top twenty, who scored the highest in the mid-term exams, will each be paired with one from the bottom twenty whose names are randomly written on that paper." He pointed at the chart that the two boys had neatly taped to the blackboard before returning to their seats. "As you can see, there are exactly twenty blank cells on the second row. The top twenty students will proceed in front, one by one, to write their name in a blank cell of their choice… Later on I will peel off the covers of the cells in the top row to reveal the names… Whose ever name is written above yours, will be your assigned partner. Which means whoever you pick, is who you are going to work with for any group activities, homework or projects that will be given to you, effective until the end of _this term_. And then, the pairings will get reshuffled in the next term."

The students were suddenly filled with both excitement and anxiety. Most of the students were already aware of it as Kakashi had assumed.

"As a pair, you should help each other out with your studies as well as completing and complying with your school requirements. And just so you know, the other faculty members is aware of this pairing system I implement and they sometimes let you keep the pairings in their classes as well.", explained Kakashi.

Sakura raised her hand. "Sensei?"

"Yes, Haruno?", Kakashi acknowledged her.

"It sounds like, we- those who are doing well are suddenly responsible for those who are... uhm... assumed to have difficulties in class.", noted Sakura.

"Something like that.", admitted Kakashi. "But it's not like you won't be credited. In fact, helping your assigned partner to improve his performance in class will be very productive for you... Because! Each pair will receive an extra-curricular point based on their combined performances. The more effort you put in for your partner, the bigger the reward."

The class took the information positively.

"Three terms. Three extra-curricular points. These points will be a part of the computation of your final grade... That's right... These points can greatly affect the final class standing.", Kakashi emphasized.

Kakashi took another moment to survey the students' astonished reaction.

"Now, as you've also noticed, five columns are on a separate table. Those I mentioned earlier... I will group each of you into a pair with the students who are leading in this class in terms of academic standing... That's right! The bottom five and the top five."

Kakashi saw mixed emotions on the students' faces. "What?! … It's only fair. Come on. … Okay then, top student gets to pick first.

The student who got the highest score in the previous exam, Hyuuga Neji.", announced Kakashi as he got out a marker and held it out to a boy with grey eyes and dark brown hair. "As expected of a Hyuuga. Congratulations."

The boy named Neji stood up and the other students clapped their hands.

Sakura however, didn't look too happy.

Neji went up front and took the sharpie from Kakashi's hand. He approached the blackboard and wrote his name on one of the cells intended for the top five students. After he was done, he gave the marker back to Kakashi and returned to his seat.

Sakura was looking at him when Kakashi said, "Second place. Haruno Sakura."

She turned her head to glance at the girl sitting beside her. She was a beautiful girl with baby blue eyes and long platinum blonde hair tied in a ponytail. Some strands of hair were left out to line the right side of her face, almost covering her eye.

The girl, who seemed to be the only one aware of Sakura's disappointment, softly smiles at her sympathetically.

Sakura held her braids as she stood up. She forced a smile on her face and moved towards her teacher.

The white haired male held out the marker to her. "Nice job Haruno. Keep it up."

"Yes Kakashi-sensei. Thank you.", she told him.

Lee shouts, "I hope we get paired Sakura-san!" at the back and she recited a mantra in her head.

**['Don't let it be Lee! Don't let it be Lee! Don't let it be Lee!']**

After Sakura made her choice, she proceeded to write her name.

Kakashi called for the next. "She is followed by… Yamanaka Ino."

"Hai!", answered the girl with platinum blonde hair. She elegantly made her way to the front while-

The shy girl from earlier shrank further into her seat. She eventually hears Kakashi say, "Next. Hyuuga Hinata." and so she bolts up from her seat almost whimpering, "S-sir."

She walked to the front as Ino was just returning to her seat. She seemed very uncomfortable with how everyone was looking at her that she kept her eyes, which was the same color as the boy with the same surname as hers, on the floor.

Kakashi hands her the marker and she moves towards the blackboard.

After writing her name, Kakashi walked towards her and got the marker back. "Thank you Hyuuga, you may take your seat."

As Hinata made her way back to her seat, Kakashi wrote a name on the last cell available in the detached table. "The last cell is automatically yours Nara.", he said as he wrote _'Nara Shikamaru'_.

The lazy boy sighed heavily and looked away with an uninterested expression.

"Now, let's continue to the other table. Coming in at sixth place Aburame Shino.", Kakashi continued.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Kakashi nodded as he accepted the marker from the last student who wrote his name on the table. "That's all of you. So~ Are you guys ready for the reveal?", he said as he put away his sharpie.

Kakashi moved towards the board. "Let's start with the detached table... Nara. Write the pairings down will you.", he said as his fingers located the tape holding the peelable layer in place.

The furthest name was Neji's. As Kakashi removed the tapes one by one, the name of Neji's partner was the first to be revealed.

Neji read the name written on it with an irritated look, "It's Lee."

"Bwahahaha!", Naruto broke into a laugh. "The boy genius and bushy brows! That's epic! Good luck Neji!"

Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

**['Thank goodness!']**

"Oh well. I'm in your hands Neji-san! Let's enjoy our youth together.", Lee told Neji and flashed him a sparkling white smile.

Neji's eyebrow twitched.

The class was suddenly laughing with Naruto at the randomness of it.

"That's perfect. The one who almost got a perfect score and the one who almost got zero. Help Lee out from now on Hyuuga.", said Kakashi as he went to reveal the next name.

**['Neji got Lee. Which means anyone I get guarantees me a higher point than Hyuuga. But I hope it's not that… absentee. Please, Please! Not him']**

Shikamaru, whose name was written beside Neji's, hesitated before reading. "Sa...baku T-Temari." he frowned.

Naruto guffawed.

Shikamaru turns to glare at him but Naruto only returned the annoyed boy, a sly grin while mouthing 'One word. Delinquent.' with the lowest voice he can manage.

Shikamaru looked behind him to glance at the girl sitting at the far back.

She raised an arrogant eyebrow at him and he quickly looked away. "Troublesome.", he murmured.

"Is it rea~lly?", teased Ino.

The rest of the students followed suit - with Naruto howling the loudest - as soon as they realized what Ino was implying.

"Now, now.", Kakashi silenced them. His eyes found Hinata on the first seat to his right. "Well Hyuuga, are you ready? Your partner is..."

"N-N-Naruto-kun!", she stuttered, blushing heavily.

"Ah. The female Hyuuga got me." Naruto reached for Hinata's shoulders - not minding how she gasped at his touch. "I'm all yours Hinata-chan.", he told her casually while grinning.

The flustered girl quickly stood up and ran out of the room, excusing herself.

"Was she not feeling well?", Naruto wondered.

Kakashi sighed and returned to his task.

Sakura crossed her fingers.

**['It's down to two.']**

"Mine's Tenten.", Ino announced.

Sakura stiffened.

Ino turned to the girl with buns. She smiled at her and the brunette smiled back.

"Tck! Ino got the easy one.", said Shikamaru through gritted teeth.

"What's that supposed to mean?!", Naruto and Temari questioned him simultaneously. The two seemed rather offended.

Tenten, who sat in front of Temari and next to Lee, leaned back on her chair. "Sakura's the one who really got it easy.", she commented.

Just as everyone realized this, Kakashi revealed the name written above Sakura's;

'Uchiha Sasuke'

Sakura found herself, holding unto her braids again.

Sensing the sudden changed in mood again, Kakashi moved on. "And that's them. Now let's proceed with the other table."

Somewhere along the mention of a certain Akimichi Choji being paired with Aburame Shino, Sakura tuned out as faint whispers suddenly sounded more relevant than what's happening up in front.

"She sure got it easy huh?"

"Yeah. Since the teachers, especially Kakashi-sensei is looking out for him. He's an _Uchiha_ after all."

"Even if he does nothing and rarely shows up to class, they still give him good grades."

"Well, I guess she's finally gonna get her chance to beat Neji."

"You know they have a term for that; Cheap victory."

Sakura side-glanced Ino, who also heard the whispers, and found the girl looking at her with concern,

From Ino, her eyes wandered along the other students until she saw Naruto with his head lowered and in deep thought.

Sakura realized that some other students were giving her sympathetic looks that was more mocking than out of concern.

She lowered her head in frustration. Her left hand started feeling for the hair clips that was keeping her bangs in place.

**['What the heck are those looks for? Are they directed at me or… at that… _Uchiha Sasuke_?'] **

**.**

**.**

**.**

A/N:

**This manuscript was inspired by Lauren Aquilina's songs and Studio Ghibli's; 'Ocean Waves' and 'Only Yesterday'.**

**I will always be grateful to Studio Ghibli and Lauren Aquilina for the inspiration and motivation. I wish them only the best things in life and I will always be a fan of them.**

By the way; this story is focused on Sasuke and Sakura and the scenes are described as Sakura experience it or remembers it. So I can't make promises about the other minor pairings unless it's essential to the story.

The setting of this fanfiction is intended to be Japan but I am not Japanese so (especially if you are Japanese or knowledgeable about the Japanese Culture) you may find one or more things to be inaccurate. I tried my best to be vague when it came to subjects that I'm not particularly well-informed about.

Still, apologies in advance for any issues you may have with this story as a result of that.


	2. 1.2

**(1.2)**

**THINKING ABOUT**

" ** _I can turn him around."_**

-Lunch break-

"I'm starving! I wonder if they're serving ramen today?", wondered Naruto as he was walking towards the door alongside Shikamaru and another boy, who was huge and round.

"Uhm, Naruto?", Sakura called him.

"Huh?! Sakura-chan?!", Naruto seemed taken aback. He grinned at Sakura in spite of himself. "What is it? It's unusual for you to be the one to come to me for anything."

Sakura stood up. "I was wondering... could I... have a word with you?", she reluctantly asked.

Naruto happily excused himself from his friends who seemed very supportive and cheering him on to move away.

"So, what's this about?", asked Naruto as he approached her.

"It's about Uchiha Sasuke."

"Oh." his expression closed up.

"You're friends with him right? I was wondering if you could somehow convince him to come to class more. I'd be more than happy to help him with his studies. He's my partner after all-"

"Sorry Sakura-chan!", Naruto immediately said, rubbing the back of his head and looking very uncomfortable. "That was a long time ago. We don't get to talk much anymore. I don't think I can pass the message for you. Try maybe, Kakashi-sensei. He still listens to him sometimes."

"But-"

"Sorry Sakura-chan." Naruto backed away. "I hate to turn you down but-… I really can't do anything about it." He joins his friends waiting for him at the door. "Shikamaru. Choji. Let's go!"

**['Kakashi-sensei huh?']**

"Sakura, aren't you coming?", Ino called her, a bento in her hand.

"I-I'm coming. Hold on."

**.**

**.**

**.**

-After school-

Sakura was in front of a room with a sign that says 'Literature Club'. She knocked a few times before opening the door.

"Kakashi-sensei?", she called as she peeked inside.

Kakashi was the only one inside the room. She saw him looked away from a book and motioned for her to sit down in any of the vacant chairs.

"What is it Haruno, have you finally decided to join the literature club?", he asked her as soon as she sat down.

"Uhm… no. I came here because I wanted to talk about Uchiha."

"Oh. What about him?" Kakashi returned to his book.

Sakura's eyes shifted between the book and Kakashi's face. "It's this... whole... 'pairing' thing. How am I... supposed to... make this work... if he's almost never around?"

"Oh, you don't have to do anything."

"Sir?" Her eyes locked on to his face.

"I will personally, remind him of his duties. Just go about your usual routines and I'll take care of the rest."

"But you said... And I thought... I'm confused. What about the other classes? You said-"

"If you receive any homework meant for him, I want you to hand them to me. If you are assigned a project that is intended for the two of you, you come to me for help instead. If he happens to be absent during an important class activity, inform me so I can talk to your teachers about it." Kakashi elaborated, all the while keeping himself busy with his book.

"So, my participation is just for show?"

Kakashi glanced at her and sighed. "Yes. And… no."

"I- Okay, now I'm extremely confu-... So y-... Why does it have to be for show? I thought you didn't want us to let our 'teammates' fall behind."

"You're exempted. Because it's Uchiha."

"So, you teachers really do give him the special treatment.", Sakura spoke too quickly. "Is it because he's an Uchiha?"

Kakashi finally put his book down. He rested his elbows on the desk and joined his hands together by intertwining his fingers. "Uchiha is going through rough times in his life. He's making compromises and it's affecting his attendance in school. At this rate, he may not make it through to the second term- No. I'm absolutely positive, he won't be here come second term.", he explained.

"But if you're so sure he can't stay in school, why not just _drop_ him?"

"I can't drop a student based on… _conjecture_ , no matter how positive I am of it. He either has to have enough absences to qualify him as a drop out or formally announce it himself…. Just do as I say. Trust me Haruno. All I want is for Uchiha to at least finish this term. I'll make sure he gets a decent grade which will highly contribute to your merit."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows.

"Wait!" Kakashi realized. "That came out wrong. That was not what I had in-"

"That's CHEATING!", she stressed. "And you're asking me to participate in it?!"

"No. Let me expl-"

"I don't want a part of it! I rather do everything individually and be graded individually. I'm better off without the extra point."

"I'm trying to tell y-... Are you sure?!... I was under the impression that you wanted to beat Hyuuga."

Sakura held her braids. It took her a moment to answer. "I- I will try my best to achieve that on my own as I have been doing all this time." she decided. "I request to be _'un'_ paired with Uchiha."

"I refuse.", he flatly denied her.

"Why?!"

"What if you are not the only one who has issues with your assigned partner? If I consider your request, then I will have to listen to everyone else's"

"That would be fair."

"It was random for a reason. If you are given the liberty to choose your partner, then it defeats the whole purpose."

"But-"

"No. I will not 'un'p-" Kakashi was distracted when the door opened. "...unpair you with Uchiha."

Shikamaru and Hinata walked inside the room.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "I think we are done here. You can go now Haruno."

"Sir I am not leaving until I-"

Kakashi sighed and scanned his book to find where he left off. He started reading out loud for her to hear just how inappropriate the contents of the book were.

At this, Sakura scrambles out of the office while calling the man a 'pervert'.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura found her best friend sitting on the second lowest run of the steps that led down to the soccer field. Ino was watching Tenten and Temari play soccer against the soccer club members.

"So, he said no?", Yamanaka Ino figured.

"Yes.", Sakura answered.

"Yes?"

"No." Sakura flopped down beside the blonde.

The blonde girl flipped her long ponytail behind her right shoulder. "That's it then. You're just gonna have to suck it up forehead.", said Ino before returning her attention to the game.

Sakura sighed heavily beside her so Ino felt compelled to comfort her. "Sakura, think about it for a second. What is it that you want the most right now? What do you want to accomplish?"

"I want to beat Hyuuga Neji!"

"That's right. You have that deal with your grandmother. You want them to support you in college, you have to graduate as the top student or else... you have no choice but to do exactly what your mother says." Ino turns her light blue eyes away from Sakura to look at the soccer field again. "Woohoo! Go Tenten! Go Temari!", she cheered.

Sakura scowled "But I don't want to cheat my way up there!", she muttered. When Ino didn't say anything to her in response, Sakura succumb to watching the game as well.

...

For a while, the girls who were giving the soccer team a run for their money was all they were looking at until Sakura decided to speak again, "What is the deal with that Uchiha brat anyway? He's always absent!"

"Or just very late, like he was this morning.", noted Ino.

"Really? I didn't see him at all."

"Shikamaru said he was in the faculty room, taking his make-up exams."

"Oh. So, what's with Uchiha? I've seen him around only a few times. He always looks exhausted and miserable."

"Still kind of cute though.", said the girl named Temari - a bit out of breath - as she stepped out of the field, leaving wheezing and panting boys that are either kneeling, sitting, bent over or sprawled out on the field.

"Are you talking about Uchiha Sasuke?"

The three girls turned their head towards a brown haired woman with a chin length hair. She wore a lab coat over her violet blouse and black mini skirt. Her kitten heels clacked as she approached them.

"Nurse Rin.", Sakura and Ino acknowledged her in unison.

"Hello girls." The woman smiled at them then turned to the other girl "Oh. I don't believe we have been introduced."

"Sabaku Temari.", she introduced herself.

"Sabaku?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Hai, hai! Tenten desu!", joined Tenten.

"Are you friends of these two future doctors?"

"We're in the same class as them.", said Temari.

"You'll probably see more of me hanging around with Ino since we have been paired.", Tenten informed her

"Paired? Oh, I see. Kakashi-kun has been assigned as your temporary adviser." Rin chuckled at the thought of him. "You'll understand sooner or later why he does that pairing thing. I really hope you do."

Rin sat herself down a few feet away from Sakura. "Anyway, Uchiha, any particular reason why he's been mentioned?", she inquired.

"Why the sudden interest in him?", wondered Ino. "Oh right, he visits the infirmary a lot lately. Maybe _you're_ the reason?!", Ino teased.

Rin gasped at this. "Miss Yamanaka. Just what are you implying?" she only pretended to be angry.

Ino giggled. "Just kidding! But who knows? Maybe you're actually his type Nurse Rin?"

"He does come to the infirmary sometimes but he doesn't stay for too long.", Rin explained. "Karin drives him away with her quirks."

"Karin, the last of his fangirls." Ino chuckled.

"She's really a good girl if you looked past her… er… 'concerning' _obsession_ with him.", Rin remarked.

"True.", noted Ino. "Looking back, Sasuke was really popular during freshman year. He's good looking, tall and very athletic. Girls fell in and out of love with him. He doesn't seem to be interested in dating anyone so they just gave up on him. He's moody and has little patient for people who does not respect his personal space and he obviously values his time alone the most."

"What's with him and Naruto? He's suddenly so serious and broody whenever Uchiha is mentioned?", questioned Sakura.

"They used to be good friends. In fact, Naruto was the only person Sasuke was ever really friends with, which is really weird because those two are polar opposites. It's like if Naruto was the sun, Sasuke is the moon. Like day and night. … Back when the two were still on good terms, despite Sasuke being distant and all, he was sort of... I don't know, _overprotective_ of Naruto. But it all changed. They suddenly started avoiding each other during the latter half of freshman year."

"That was about the same time he started missing school right?", recalled Temari as she sat down next to Ino and reached for her towel and a water bottle.

Ino nodded. "It only got worst during sophomore year. Everyone was so sure he'd fail. But to everyone's surprise he got through to his senior year."

"So, did he and Naruto fight or something?", Sakura pressed.

"That's the funny thing. No one knows what really happened between those two. All we know is that Naruto confronted Sasuke and Sasuke made it obvious that they were no longer friends, or at least that's what I've heard. And ever since, whenever those two start talking to each other, it just ends with either one of them walking away or a fight breaking out between them.", explained Ino. "So Naruto just gave him his space and kept himself busy with being student council president."

"So why is everyone else estranging him?" was Sakura's next question.

"Since Naruto has gotten so popular and everyone who's important in school is his friend, they're obviously siding with him. Everyone's assuming that Naruto's still upset with him so everyone just stayed away from Sasuke."

"That's IT?!" Sakura blinked. "Everyone is acting like they hate him because Naruto may or may not even be upset with him... That's... that's so MESSED UP! And almost all the senior year students are doing it too?! ... And is Naruto really that popular?", Sakura wondered. "I know he's loud and cheerful and friends with everyone but I didn't realize he was popular enough to make Uchiha's fan club lose interest in him."

"Why wouldn't he be? He's the son of two heroes, one of them being an Uzumaki. They're just as famous and as influential as the Uchihas.", reasoned Ino. "Naruto's not lacking in good looks either. He's charismatic and attractive in his own special way. It's understandable that when Sasuke made it clear that he wasn't interested; the female population of the school went for the next big thing. ... But he's proven himself more deserving to be the new school heartthrob. He has earned his way into the hearts of both teachers and students."

"Yeah. He caught both Hyuuga's attention. You know how Neji has only very few people he respects. And the fact that the Hyuuga princess has a crush on Naruto, made him look more desirable.", added Tenten as she moved closer to them. "He's also pals with the school banchou a.k.a. Killerbee."

"Don't forget my younger brother who is now the current student council president. He also looks up to him." added Temari. "That's because back when Uzumaki was still student council president he accomplished so much for the student body. Like when he fought with Mr. Danzo to make the cultural festival last a week instead of only two days."

"The School Principal?" Rin was surprised.

"Uh-huh!", Ino confirmed as she hands Tenten a towel. "He also won the president, Mr. Jiraiya's heart with his speech and the school finally allowed senior students to have field trips again."

"It was amazing. Remember? The student who delivered the speech for last year's graduating ceremony even called him a hero and thank him for letting them graduate without any regrets.", said Tenten while wiping off her sweat with the towel.

"Now that you've mentioned it, that did happen, didn't it.", Rin recalled.

"Wow." was Sakura's only reaction.

"Wait?" Tenten squeezed herself and sat down between her and Ino. "It's understandable for Nurse Rin, since she only started working here in April, but... How is it that _you_ don't know any of this, Sakura?", she questioned the girl.

Sakura had to move a little to the left and closer to Rin as she gave way for Tenten. She secured her hair clips and adjusted her skirt.

"Sakura's not very big on gossips.", said Ino, passing Tenten the bottle of water Temari handed. "If it's not educational, she's not interested. Any information that does not help her earn points is just useless information.

But you know what?!" Ino looked beyond Tenten. "Sasuke really didn't do much about it. Like, if it was a misunderstanding he could've talked to someone. Made it clear. It's like he doesn't mind that everyone hates him."

"Still, whatever his reason was, I'm sure he's entitled to his own emotions or decisions. To treat him like he doesn't deserve any respect just because he's not on Naruto's side. … Since when did being a friend of Naruto, become the basis for identifying acceptable people. … Wait! I'm not exactly tolerant of Naruto either. I'm not getting the same treatment.", noted Sakura.

"Uh, Forehead, you probably didn't know this but, a lot of people actually hate you because of how you treat Naruto. Like not a little lot. A ' _lot_ ' lot. Like everyone except for all of us here and some boys you can name in school."

"But, I can only name boys from our current class."

"Yep. That's about all of us. Didn't you ever wonder why you had such a hard time when you were doing class reports? I mean everyone was always snickering or making weird noises whenever you were up on the podium. And every time you were on cleaning duty, no one else but me stayed to help you.", Ino pointed out.

"Oh." Sakura realized. "Oh!"

Sakura shook the realization off. "So, no wonder Naruto said he can't talk to Uchiha for me. But, do you think, if those two were in good terms, Naruto could've helped me?"

Tenten snorted. "Oh, Sakura. If those two were in good terms, Sasuke would hate you for treating Naruto like shit!"

Sakura scowled as she reached for some lose strands of hair and tucked it behind her ear then once again pressed hard on her hair clips. She wasn't in the mood to talk anymore. She leaned backwards, resting her elbows on a higher run and crossed her legs. She just listened to the other girls as they resumed the conversation.

"So, you know a lot about Uchiha huh?", Rin asked Ino teasingly.

Ino, for a brief moment, blushed. "I-I used to have a little crush on him.", she admitted.

"Little?! You were totally a fangirl-" Tented corrected her but Ino suddenly shoved the towel in her mouth.

"Like you didn't think he was cute before?!"

"Wuff wus-" Tenten removed the towel. "That was... one... time!", she tried to say while sticking her tongue out and getting rid of the small threads of the towel that stuck to it.

Rin chuckled. "What about Sakura? Did you think he was cute back then?" she directed the question at Sakura but Ino took the liberty of answering for her.

"Nah! She's been in love with our childhood friend for as long I can remember."

Sakura kept her position and did not join the conversation again. Not even when she became their topic.

"Really? It's the first I heard of this. So, do I know him?", Rin wondered.

"No. He already graduated and he's in his second year in college."

"An older boy?! Does he know you like him?" Rin directed the question at Sakura again but Ino answered for her again.

"Just by two years and yes, he does know. She confessed to him before his graduation. It turns out, he likes her too. But he doesn't want to date her until she's also in college. The guy lived with his grandmother so what would you expect?"

"And she's fine with that?"

"Won't make much of a difference, he goes to Tokyo University so they hardly see each other anyway."

Sakura tuned out of the conversation as she stared at Ino surrounded by Tenten and Temari.

**['When did they become so close?']**

She raised her chin to look up at the sky. There was suddenly a strong gust of wind that blew away some of the leaves scattered on the ground. Her vision followed the leaves but lost sight of it when she immediately caught a tall figure walking by from the corners of her eyes.

It was a boy with black spiky hair long enough to frame his face. He was looking straight ahead while making his way across the pathway at the top of the stairs.

Sakura's eyes just started following him. She couldn't take her eyes off him not even when Ino pushed Tenten - who was drinking water from the bottle - aside, to hold her skirt down.

Even if she wanted to, it was too late because, without stopping, he had to slightly turn while trying to keep his fringe from prickling his obsidian eyes. She was sure he had already noticed she was looking at him.

Sakura's eyes met his.

**['I must look awkward from his angle.']**

She unconsciously moved her right hand, without lifting her elbow, to give him a small wave. A smile formed on her lips.

The boy raised an eyebrow but slightly nodded before looking away and moving forward.

Temari crossed her legs and rested her right elbow on it. She leaned forward so her right hand touched her right cheek. Keeping her face hidden, she glanced at the boy who was walking away as if she was acting like a lookout. She gives them the signal that the coast is clear and Ino straightened herself releasing the breath she was holding. Tenten finally stopped gulping down her water.

Rin was just as anxious as they were.

Sakura closed the hand she used to wave at him into a fist. She suddenly sat up then stood. The other girls looked at her and Ino noticed she had this determined look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Ino-pig. Go on home ahead of me. There's something I need to do.", Sakura told her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Kakashi just stood still while looking very un-amused. He raised his right hand to pinch the wrinkles forming in between his eyebrows while his left hand rested on his waist. "Yes Haruno?"

Sakura was just ahead, holding onto 'his' bike while looking at him with a brilliant smile on her face.

Kakashi sighed in defeat.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Sunset-

Sakura sat on a bench just near the school parking area. On the next bench about two meters away from her, sat Kakashi.

"I saw Uchiha a while ago.", Sakura started.

Kakashi was looking at his book just for show. He was actually listening to what she has to say next intently.

"He didn't seem as bad as everyone made it sound he'd be." she realized that Kakashi was now glancing at her. "I waved at him and he nodded back at me."

"Did you talk to him?" At this point Kakashi was facing towards her.

"Ah, no. I didn't get the chance to. But I just found out that people were actually avoiding him for a very stupid reason. No wonder he's not very fond of coming to school. Then it got me thinking, what if there was someone who didn't treat him like he was some kind of criminal. What if he could find even one person who he could talk to here at school? Then maybe it won't be so hard for him to be here."

"Uchiha isn't so weak to be emotionally affected by people estranging him. He knows what it's like to be alone better than you think. Something like this is nothing compared to what he's gone through."

"O~kay. … I might be wrong for assuming that he feels lonely here in school. But that doesn't mean he doesn't need a friend."

"Let me guess, you're thinking of becoming friends with him?", Kakashi presumed.

"Well sure. I mean, instead of leaving him to you, like you asked me to, why don't I just go ahead and actually do what I'm supposed to do as his partner? Just convince him to attend class more. Participate. I'll handle the rest. I'll make it so he doesn't have a hard time or feel left out whenever he's in class-"

"Haruno.", he interjected. "Honestly, I thought you'd be happy when I told you that you didn't have to do anything about him."

"Eh? W-Why?"

"You said you'd befriend him but, exactly... how many friends do you have?"

"Well there's Ino... Yamanaka."

"Yamanaka! Yes. I always scold her about how loud she can get whenever you two are bickering about how you ditched her on certain occasions only to hold a study session all by yourself."

Sakura could only stare at him questioningly.

"As I said, she can get loud. So, do you have other friends?"

"Miss Rin I guess. If she counts? ... Ino's friends with Nara, so... Why are you aski-"

"Three! And you're not even sure... Tell me then, what do you like doing with your friends?"

"I don't unders- I sometimes study with them. Go over lessons.", she answered, pressured by his gaze. "But what is your point?!... Sir?"

Kakashi's answer came so fast. "You're unapproachable."

"... Are you trying to say I'm undependable?"

"I said you're unapproachable?"

"So..."

"Yes."

"..."

"You are easily irritated by loud people. You purposely hang out with only smart people and even then you avoid them when they come to you for anything that doesn't involve studying."

**['That sounds right.']**

When she said nothing, Kakashi spoke again. "Haruno, I've seen how you are around Yamanaka. And I've seen how you are around other students who aren't close friends with you. Heck, I've seen how you are around Naruto. How are you supposed to approach Uchiha; who is very… indifferent, when clearly you find dealing with Naruto; who is friends with almost everyone, intolerable?!"

"I can't help it!", she reasoned while fixing her fringes in place with her hair ornament. She leaned back and crossed her arms. "Naruto's too much to keep up with. He's always running around getting involved in other people's problems. He acts like he's some kind of hero who's obligated to help everyone. He obviously can't help himself patched things up with his own best friend."

Kakashi glowered at her.

"I-I'm Sorry. That wasn't called for.", she realized her fault. "Okay! I know I'm hard on him but ... Listen, Kakashi-sensei. This is different. I am extremely motivated to reach out to Uchiha."

"To be blunt, you neither have the patience nor the proper concern to reach out to him."

"But I'm determined to help.", she insisted.

Kakashi sighed. "You can't help him."

"But what if I can? What if I can convince him that being here in school isn't so bad? What if I can persuade him to come to school more often? What if I can influence him to stay in school and graduate? ... I can help him if you would just let me. I can make him work hard, for his own grade. Then you don't need to- Then I wouldn't feel like we're cheati-"

"So it really was about the grade?", Kakashi figured. He stood up, informing her that the conversation was over.

"But, No! I mean yes, I care about the grade. I do need the extra point but I want us to have earned it... and... I'm trying to tell you, that I wanna help him out too!" Her eyes tried to keep up with Kakashi who had walked to his bike.

"HARUNO!" his voice was louder, surprising Sakura. "I'm sorry for raising my voice... I know you mean well. But I'm sorry. Please don't bother with Uchiha Sasuke. Just... leave him be." Kakashi ended the conversation and pushed his bike towards the exit ready to leave.

"But why?!" Sakura stood up from where she sat.

"Just no.", he said as he moved further away from her.

"No?" she doesn't bother to catch up to him.

"No!", he yelled back only loud enough for her to hear.

**.**

**.**

**.**

_"So, he said no?"_ , came Ino's voice.

"Yes." Sakura held the phone closer.

_"Yes?"_

"No! Wait?! This conversation sounds familiar." Sakura stood up, moved away from her study table and walked towards the sliding door that leads to her balcony. She was wearing her pink pajamas.

_"But really? Sasuke? Uchiha Sasuke?. You want to help the one boy everybody hates right now? You couldn't even bear Naruto for a few seconds and he's friends with everybody."_

**['Everyone keeps saying that!']**

Sakura's free hand went to feel the hair clips

"I don't have a choice! I need that extra credit but there's no way I'm accepting a grade I did not work for."

_"But Kakashi-sensei said no right?"_

"He also said I was unapproachable."

_"He's sort of right. It took me years to get you to talk to people without hiding your face behind your hair."_

Sakura's hand lingered on the accessory for little longer. "Hm.", she hummed in agreement.

_"So you're giving it up right?"_

"No. I think, he thinks I can't do it. I'm gonna show him I can. I'm gonna go up to Uchiha Sasuke. Talk to him and help him. I'm gonna make a model student out of that rebellious teenager."

_"I don't know about that Sakura, I mean he's really, really uhm ... cold. Would he even want your help?"_

"Are you afraid I'd get close to him? Is that it?", Sakura teased Ino. "You still have a crush on that boy?"

_"What? I- No!"_

Sakura started laughing then walked back inside, closing the sliding door behind her. She sat on her bed.

_"Fine! Do what you want! I'm just worried you might get yourself caught in between his feud with Naruto, you know?! Well whatever. I warned you! Good luck with helping 'Mr. I'm-to-busy-feeling-the-stick-up-my-ass-to-care-if-people-hates-me'!'"_

Sakura giggled. "You'll see Ino, I can turn him around."

_"So, he knows you've been paired with him yet?"_

"Uhm... Er... No."

_"How are you going to approach him?"_

"I'm not sure but... I'll have my chance come Monday."

**.**

**.**

**.**

A/N: About the uniform **(Even though it's only for day 1)**

The school uniform is composed of a white button-down shirt, a black knitted vest and/or monogrammed blazer and matching checkered bowtie and pleated skirt (same color as their jounin uniform) for the girls and necktie and traditional trousers for the boys.

For their individual style;

Haruno Sakura

She wears the vest and have her sleeves rolled up to just below her elbows. She complies with the prescribed black socks but for her outdoor shoes, she wears a pair of red converse.

Rock Lee

He wears a green sweater instead of the school vest.

Uzumaki Naruto

He doesn't wear the vest and the necktie. His shirt is not tucked in and he wears a black and orange varsity jacket instead of the blazer.

Nara Shikamaru

Just like Lee he drops the vest for a black sweater.

Tenten

She wears a pink hoodie over her uniform. She wears athletic shoes outside the school.

Sabaku Temari

She is one of only two named female characters who wear her blazer. She doesn't wear the vest and her bowtie. The sleeves of her blouse and her blazer are rolled up. She doesn't tuck her blouse inside her very long skirt and she wears short white socks.

Hyuuga Hinata

Instead of the vest she wears a lavender sweater under a white hoodie zipper jacket. She also use black stockings instead of socks.

Hyuuga Neji

The only named male character who wears the blazer. Instead of the vest, he wears a white buttoned cardigan.

Yamanaka Ino

She wears a light purple cardigan over her uniform.

Uchiha Sasuke

He wears a dark blue sweater over his un-tucked shirt. The sleeves are rolled up to just above his elbows. He doesn't wear his necktie and he leaves his top button open.

Karin

She is one of the two named female characters who wear the blazer. She also wears a maroon sweater over her shirt but doesn't wear her necktie. She also uses over the knee black socks.

*For their summer uniform; they drop the excess layers and wear a white short-sleeved button down shirt instead of the long-sleeved ones.

**(The /flashbacks/ is set during the summer so this is what they will be wearing in school from here on out.)**


	3. 1.3

**(1.3)**

**THINKING ABOUT**

" ** _What am I doing?"_**

-Monday-

Sakura - now wearing her summer uniform - sat on a bench by the gate. She was waiting for Sasuke, hoping for a chance to talk to him. She checked her phone for the time.

'06:09 am / Mon, June 01'

**['Uchiha usually comes to school early on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.']**

She braised herself.

Naruto walked through the gates accompanied by his friends as usual. He immediately spots her. "Sakura-chan? What are you doing out here?"

Sakura stood up from the bench. "Oh! Hey, Naruto!" she gave him the most fake enthusiastic greeting ever.

"Good morning!" he grinned.

"Heads up Naruto!", yelled Shikamaru.

The next thing Sakura knew, she was being squashed within a mob of girls. It wasn't violent, but it was choking nonetheless.

**['Ack! What the- These girls! Oof! It would've been better if they just shoved me aside At least then, I'd still be breathing. AIR. I NEED AIR!']**

She struggled to get out of the cluster and only when she was out and had helped herself to a generous amount of oxygen did she turned to look back.

Naruto was being fawned over and handed, by female students from the lower years, some gifts. He bashfully accepts them.

Sasuke walks in through the gates looking groggy and out of it as usual.

**['Oh. Right on time.']**

Naruto noticed Sasuke's presence just as the latter became aware of the commotion ahead of him.

Sasuke halted. He and Naruto stared at each other and it gave off an uncomfortable vibe. The atmosphere was tense. No one could break away from it until-

"MY BELOVED FLOWER!", a very energetic voice boomed across the entrance.

The boy named Lee had arrived, running towards Sakura and passing through Sasuke and Naruto. "What great honor to start my day in school with the sight of _YOU_!"

Sakura was not prepared for that. Everyone's attention was now on her thanks to Lee. It's as if, they were part of a play and the other actors were waiting for her to deliver her line so they can cue the next scene.

"Ah. L-Lee." She was grinning but her eyebrows gave away her annoyance. "G-Good morning."

"Eh? Eh. EH!" Lee was surprised that Sakura didn't get angry at him this time - or didn't show that she was rather. "My prayers had been answered!" He shouted to nobody in particular.

"Could it be that the most beautiful woman, my beloved flower, Sakura-san!", he said while performing some sort of courtship dance. For the last post, he kneeled down and held his hand out as if asking for her hand in marriage. "Have you finally fallen in love with me?!" He winked and flashed her; a sparkling smile.

Sakura just stood there stupefied and extremely embarrassed at what Lee had just done. Everyone else around them except for Sasuke looked dumbfounded.

Sasuke decided to take his leave and go ahead of everyone.

Noticing this, Sakura immediately opened her mouth. "U-Uchiha-san!", She called him as he walks by her.

He stopped to look at her. She felt vulnerable and awkward under his gaze. She suddenly found herself forcing a smile on her face and failing miserably.

**['I must look either hilarious or creepy right now.']**

"Good Morning!" she bowed politely. It was the perfect excuse to hide her face.

"Sakura... chan?" Naruto, who was still surrounded by girls, was surprised by her actions.

Everyone's attention shifted to Sasuke, who was obviously taken aback by the gesture.

"A-Aa.", he barely spoke.

"Eh?!", the girls chorused.

Naruto looked at Sasuke instantly - eyes-wide, while his friends were gaping.

Sakura felt somehow accomplished. "Well then.", she told him as she straightened her back. She stiffly walked backwards and got her things from the bench, all the while keeping the fake smile on her face. "I'll go ahead. See you in class."

Then she dashed away leaving an extremely confused Sasuke, Naruto shifting his gaze from Sasuke to Sakura and back to Sasuke again, and a forgotten Lee still in his kneeling position. Everyone else was staring at Sakura's back. It was their turn to be stupefied.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura slowed down as soon as she was inside the school building. She was catching her breath and trying so hard to shake the embarrassment off.

**['I forgot to tell him.**

She sighed.

**...Oh well, I'll get another chance.**

Then she realized something.

**Come to think of it.**

She straightened up and fisted her hand by her chest.

… **That was the first time I heard his voice.']**

In fact, that was the first time anyone has heard his voice in a long time.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Art class-

Sasuke accidentally dropped his eraser.

Sakura reacted so fast; "CHANCE!" she dove face flat sliding on the floor to catch it.

"Haruno?!", the male teacher - a man with a visible scar along his nose -yelled.

Sasuke watched her from his seat with an arched eyebrow as she raised her hand with the eraser to him.

"Here you go."

"Hn." He hesitated before he took the eraser out of her hand.

"Miss Haruno?", the teacher called to her worriedly.

Everyone in class was looking at her as she got up without even raising her head. She then turned and walked towards the door at the back of the room.

"Excuse me. I'll step outside for a while.", she spoke loud enough for the teacher to hear her.

The students seated behind Sasuke, got a look at her face as she leaves and their expressions told everyone else what they needed to know.

"Ah! Miss Haruno wait!" The teacher then turned to her students. "Shouldn't the health officer accompany her to the infirmary?"

"Iruka-sensei. Sakura is the health officer.", Ino stated.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Tuesday; Math Class-

Sakura - with a medical plaster on her nose and a bigger one on her forehead - was quickly walking through the hallway when she saw Sasuke up ahead of her. She was about to call him when she notice Kakashi further ahead, coming from the opposite wing.

Kakashi stopped and narrowed his eyes at her. He looks at Sasuke and back at Sakura. He moves his head side to side warning her.

Sakura looks at Sasuke and back at him, determination showing on her face.

Sasuke was about to open the door to their classroom when he noticed Kakashi close by. He realized that Kakashi was looking at somebody behind him so he turned to see who it was. There she found Sakura. He shifts his sight between the two who were acting like they were in a situation called a Mexican standoff.

Sakura glares at Kakashi. Kakashi returns the favor. Sakura walks one step forward. Kakashi does the same. Sakura continues to walk forward and so does Kakashi. They both accelerated at the same time and power-walked towards Sasuke.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasuke rushed inside the classroom just in time before both Sakura and Kakashi found themselves stuck in the door. The bell rings.

"UCHIHA!" / "UCHIHA-SAN!"

They both called him at the same time.

Kakashi turns to Sakura "That's very disrespectful of you Haruno! Is this how you treat your elders?"

"Only, if that elder is a pervert!" Sakura struggles to get pass him.

"What is wrong with the both of you?!", Sasuke yelled, surprising the students that was already watching the scene at the door.

"And Kakashi." he looks at the man. "Why didn't you use the front door? It was closer to you!" he points at the other door.

Kakashi sighed in defeat and backed off. He glared at Sakura before walking to the front door. Everyone followed him with their eyes. He walked in as he cleared his throat. "Haruno. Uchiha. Take your seats."

He walked to the podium as Sakura and Sasuke took their seats. "There's no important announcement so let's just proceed with Math.", said Kakashi. "I really want to move on to the next chapter of this book I'm reading so I'll just give you guys an activity to work on. It will also serve as your attendance. Do it by group if you like."

"Wish me luck.", Sakura whispered to Ino who just sighed and smiled at her.

Hinata shyly turned to Naruto who was watching Sakura as she approached Sasuke.

"Uhm, Uchiha-san.", said Sakura as she was standing beside Sasuke. "I don't know if Kakashi-sensei informed you yet, but I'm actually your-"

Sasuke raise an eyebrow at her but before Sakura could finish, Kakashi called her.

"Haruno! Stand outside the hallway!"

"Eh? What for?"

"For being Noisy!"

"But it's a group activity. How can we-?"

"Then for being late!"

"But we arrived at the same time."

"Yes." Kakashi's head was lowered that his eyes were not visible. His mouth was behind the surgical mask as usual but everyone knew he was grinning. Then he suddenly raised his head. "And I'm always late. Ahah! Gotcha!", he pointed out, his voice sounding very victorious.

The room fell silent.

…

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura had to do her activity alone and in the hallway. She used the wall as a table so she could write down her answer.

Kakashi walked out of the room. "Done?"

Sakura forced a smile on her face and handed him her paper. "Yes sir!", said Sakura using a bitter tone.

Kakashi sighed. "You can go in now Haruno.", he told her.

"Yes sir! _Thank you_ sir!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes.

As soon as his back was turned, Sakura did an 'akanbe'gesture at him."Beh~"

She realized some of the students are looking out the window at her including Sasuke, who was seated by the window and just in front of her. Sakura suddenly felt embarrassed of her own immaturity. She tilted her head a little to the left. Her left hand sort of making a saluting gesture, lightly pressed on her head. She forced a smile at him, still flushed.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed and he looked away.

Sakura felt a corner of her lips twitching as her fingers move to where her hair clips were placed. She realized that Naruto was looking at her as well. Their eyes met and she kept the forced smile on her face.

Naruto could only give her a weak smile in return.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Wednesday; Gym-

Sakura was wearing a plain white t-shirt and green gym shorts. She held onto her braids as she watched Sasuke return to the classroom after changing into his gym uniform. She saw that Sasuke found the bottle of energy drink she left on his desk with a note saying;

'I know you're groggy. Hang in there.'

Sasuke asked a tall boy who was wearing sun glasses - at first he wasn't sure if Sasuke was talking to him because he looked behind him and pointed at himself questioningly - if he knew who left it there. The boy quickly pointed at Sakura.

Sakura of course didn't intend to hide it so she just smiled at him. Just like the previous one, it was forced.

Sasuke eyed her skeptically but read the note. His eyes made its way to the bottom of the paper and Sakura knew he was now reading the post script.

'P.S. I'm not a fangirl so no worries okay.'

**(-_-) : ) :D :P ; ) :3 (^_^)**

**['It's best to make that clear from the start.']**

Sasuke, who was creeped out by the note, glared at her in disgust before giving the drink to the other boy who was more than grateful to accept it.

Sakura's hands flew over to her temples then she frustratingly dragged them down to her face before letting her shoulders slumped down and lowered her head in disappointment.

Ino palms her own face behind Sakura.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-In the gymnasium-

A man who looks similar to Lee blows a whistle and the boys started playing basketball.

Somehow, the two opposing teams were Naruto's group and Sasuke's group. Sasuke's teammates refused to work with him and he seemed rather okay with the fact that his teammates just had him stand around.

"What are all of you doing?! Uchiha is wide open?", the teacher scolded. He then turned to Sasuke. "And you! Don't just stand there! Get yourself in the game!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He moved along with his team as they were on the offense. Just as they closed in on the defending team, a teammate was forced to pass him the ball which he almost didn't catch due to the lack of communication.

He glared at his teammate who acted like he couldn't care less.

"Go ahead then. Make yourself useful", the boy commanded but it sounded more of a challenge.

Sasuke didn't bother to move closer. He took a shot and scored his team its first three points.

Naruto's teammates suddenly regretted not putting a guard on him.

The game continued with Naruto's teammates ganging up on Sasuke until he made it clear that none of them could keep up with him.

Naruto had enough of his teammates' not so fair play and stepped up. He eventually turned the game into a one on one between him and Sasuke.

When Sasuke was once again in the offense he was able to get passed Naruto, but the huge boy called Chouji, had been under the ring all this time and pushed Sasuke down before he could make the shot.

The male gym teacher whistled. "Foul!", he announced.

Sakura was watching them intently that she reacted too late when someone called her. Next thing she knew she was hit by a volleyball ball in the face. It bounced upward as the force of impact had her looked up but she quickly recovered and caught the ball before it hit the ground.

"Pay attention Haruno.", a woman with a messy ponytail told her.

"Hai! Sorry, Anko-sensei!", said Sakura, blushing in embarrassment as the same group of girls from before laughed at her expense.

The female gym teacher then whistled to give her the signal to serve.

A bit furious, she served a little too strong and way too short. It hit the pole holding the net and bounced off to the other court. And out of all the people that were on the other court, it hit the back of Uchiha Sasuke's head, just as he was about to make his first free-throw shot.

Sakura gasped. Her hands shot up to cover her own mouth. The male gym teacher blew the whistle again and called a time out.

Sakura ran towards the other court to where Sasuke was bent over. His left hand was on his left knee to support his body while the other was rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh my gosh." Sakura was hesitating to get too close to him. She held the collar of her shirt up to her nose as a sort of protection from his anger. "I am so, so, very sorry... I didn't mean to... It was an accident!", she explained.

She reached for him, letting go of her collar as Sasuke shakily straightened his back, his one hand still holding his head.

"You!-" Sasuke was about to say something but stopped as he came face to face with her.

"Er, Sakura-chan!", came Naruto's worried voice.

"Uhm are y- are you okay? Does it still hurt?" Sakura was still trying to reach out to Sasuke, unaware that her nose had started bleeding again.

"Never mind me!", Sasuke snapped. "Do something about that!" He pulled out a blue handkerchief from the back pocket of his gym pants and closed the distance she maintained between them.

Sakura took a step back but Sasuke grabbed one of her outstretched hand and pulled her back in place. Then he held his handkerchief up to her nose.

Sakura was frozen in place due to the sudden contact. Then she realized what was really going on.

There were a few teasing noises from the people around them and Sasuke suddenly remembered where they were. He quickly led Sakura's hand to hold the handkerchief instead of his. "Here. Just take it.", he said and moved away.

Ino was suddenly standing beside her and asking, "Sakura, are you ok?"

Sakura just nodded at her while watching Sasuke stepped out of the court.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura still held Sasuke's handkerchief to her nose as she makes her way across the covered path. She heard a loud banging noise and learned that it was coming from a girl kicking a vending machine nearby.

"Stupid. Vending. Machine. At least give me back my money!"

"Karin?! What are you doing here?" said Sakura as she came behind the furious girl.

"Huh?!" the redheaded girl turned around to look at her with a very intimidating look, but as soon as she recognized Sakura, her expression softened. "Sakura?! I thought you were a teacher. You sounded different." she explained while fixing her eye-glasses, revealing russet eyes.

"Ehehe."

**['Why show that kind of expression to a teacher though?']**

"What happened to your nose?!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Karin had Sakura lay down in one of the beds in the infirmary while she sat at the chair meant for the school nurse. "That's the second time this week."

"Sorry to trouble you again. Nurse Rin isn't here today either?" Sakura lay down comfortably with her right hand holding a tissue to her nose while the other hand rested on her stomach.

"She went to restock on medical supplies.", replied Karin.

"Thanks for tending to me again but you don't really have to stay here with me."

"Nah. I like being able to get out of class. I actually enjoy being here. When I'm here, being in school is more tolerable."

"Karin."

"Yeah?"

"...You don't have friends do you?"

"S-Shut up!"

The two girls went silent for a while.

...

"Still. Are you gonna be okay with missing class?" Sakura tried having a conversation again.

"Midterms just ended. I'm hardly missing much. Besides, I couldn't care less about my grades. It's not like I'm going to a famous university. Any college is fine I guess. I'll end up working for the local hospital anyway."

Sakura crossed her arms over her eyes. "Wow. You know, I envy people who can be carefree. I can't afford to think like that. I'll never be good enough unless I'm number one. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks the way I think."

"Of course you're not the only one who thinks like that. So, you're lonely yourself huh?"

"I... I don't want to hear that from you!"

After that there was another awkward silence between them.

...

"Local hospital huh?" Sakura was first to speak again.

"Yeah. Uzumaki General Hospital."

"Oh?! That's the biggest hospital here in Konoha. Are you... uhm... planning to become a nurse or a doctor?"

"A doctor."

"M-Me too. But I really want to study at Tokyo University."

"Tokyo University?!"

"But it's not certain yet if I can actually move on to college."

"Why?!"

"My parents can't afford it and they think I won't make it."

"But you're so intelligent. And I think you're very capable of becoming a doctor. Why would they think that?"

"It's kind of a long story. Ehehe~ Anyway, have you decided what kind of doctor you're going to be?"

"Yeah."

"Really?! I haven't decided yet. So, what kind of doctor do you want to be?"

"A Gynecologist."

"..."

Nobody said anything else after that.

**.**

**.**

**.**

By the time Sakura got out of the infirmary everyone was already going home.

On her way to the classroom she passed two boys.

"Hurry up Shikamaru! I'm starving.", said the huge - because he doesn't like the word fat – boy.

"Yeah Choji. I'm coming.", Shikamaru told him.

Sakura entered the classroom and saw Ino helping Hinata erase the blackboard.

"Did I miss anything?", Sakura asked.

The two girls turned to look at her. "Asuma-sensei gave us homework. He wants it on his desk by the end of the week.", Hinata explained.

"I have your copy.", Ino told her.

"Thanks.", said Sakura before glancing at Sasuke's seat.

**['He's probably gone home. I didn't get to properly apologize and thank him for the handkerchief.']**

Ino was looking at her. She sighed then moved towards her seat. "You know, Kakashi-sensei called for Sasuke so he was not here when they handed out the homework."

Sakura turned to face her.

Ino had already pulled out a paper from her bag. "Shikamaru thought it was troublesome so~"

Sakura stared at her.

Ino smiled. "You might still catch him at Kakashi-sensei's office."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks Ino!" She quickly got the paper from Ino and ran out of the room.

**['Good thing, I'm still wearing my gym uniform.']**

She ran through the arcade of the third floor and saw him over the concrete railing. He was already walking towards the gate.

"Uchiha-san!", she called. He was too far to hear her. "Uchiha-san!" she tried again.

She skipped some steps as she hurriedly ran down the stairs to the second floor and instead of descending one more floor, she ran towards the left wing of the building because it's near the gate.

She did not bother to run to the end of the arcade. She had no time to slow down so, as soon as she was sure she was visible to him and not covered by the trees, she slammed her hands on the concrete railing - the paper in her hand almost crumpling - to stop her momentum. She took in a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could~ "SASUKE-KUN!"

He heard her. She knows he heard her because he stopped. He turned around wondering who called him.

The students walking out of the gate were sparing him and the girl on the second floor a glance.

Sakura smiled. "Up here. Uchiha-san!"

Sasuke found her and immediately recognized the vibrant hair color.

"Hold on. I need to give you something. I'm coming down.", She yelled then disappeared from his sight to the nearest staircase.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Uhm. Here you go!" She handed him the paper. It's homework. Due at the end of the week." She tried to tell him with a smile on her face.

Sasuke was just staring at her - more specifically the corners of her lips. The muscles on her faces were starting to twitch with how long she was holding her smile. "Uhm. I-Is there something on my face?", she asked him.

**['What the hell man? Spare me the glare. I'm going out of my way to help you here.']**

Sasuke's eyes moved to the paper and he just took it. "Hn." He was about to turn around when Sakura tried to stop him again.

"Uchiha-san wait." she grabbed him by his backpack.

Sasuke turned towards her again just in time to see Sakura put on another fake smile. "I- I want to thank you for the handkerchief. I can't guarantee I can clean it and make it look good as new again because of the blood so I'll just get you a new one, I promise."

**['I can't tell him that Karin asked for it.']**

"Never mind. Just forget about it."

"Er, I'm sorry again about- for hitting you during gym class."

"You already apologized for that." he was getting irritated. "Is there anything else?"

"..."

Sasuke turned away again.

"Uhm." Sakura tried walking alongside him. "Actually, Uchiha-san! I've been paired with you."

Sasuke started walking faster but Sakura kept up with him. "You know? The 'pairing' thing."

"Oi."

"The thing is I'm confident that I can help you. You've been struggling with class haven't you. I can tutor you if you want since you're... well, behind and all.", She continued talking.

Sasuke suddenly stopped walking that Sakura was now ahead of him. "Aren't you tired of putting up that act yet?" he glared at her.

"Eh? ... No! ... I mean it's not..." She tried to explain as she turned to face him.

"Just stop already!", he cut her off, raising his voice.

Sakura fell silent at that.

"You're annoying!", said Sasuke as he walked passed her.

Sakura didn't move except for tucking her lose fringes behind her ear and pressing down on her hair clips. She did not follow him anymore. She didn't even bother to turn around to watch him walk away. When she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore, she finally lowered her head and shakily bit her lip.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Thursday-

Sakura came to school with the events of yesterday still weighing down on her shoulders.

By the time she was finish changing her shoes, Lee had appeared to greet her. He was energetic as usual and giving it his all to express his undying love for her. Sakura just stared at him with a sad, passive look on her face. Lee's words, despite being loud, didn't reach her at all.

Over Lee's shoulder, Sakura saw Naruto walking beside Shikamaru. A faint recollection of Sasuke got her thinking.

**['I wonder if I made Lee and Naruto feel the same way?']**

Suddenly she noticed the same group of girls from her class close by, stealing glances at her and whispering.

"That girl has only been rude to Naruto-kun since... forever? Now, she's suddenly going after that Uchiha boy?"

"She's been paired with him, but everyone knows he'd refused the help."

"So why is she still bothering with him? Do you think...?"

"To think that there are still girls going for that jerk."

"What a desperate bitch."

"She probably can't help it since she's so ugly. Look at that huge forehead!"

"What? Does she think Sasuke will look at her now that he's no longer popular?"

"Why does Ino-san hang out with her anyway?"

"Sssh! She's looking this way."

"Do you think she heard us?"

"So what if she did?"

The gossiping girls walked away to escape her sight. They started whispering among themselves and giggling.

**['What am I doing?']**

Sakura adjusted her hair clips before makig her way to her classroom.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura made her way to class.

She saw Kakashi standing just outside the classroom. When she was close enough, she greeted him while trying her best to look happy "Kakashi-sensei, you're actually early for once."

"Haruno. Come see me after school. You know where to find me.", he told her before entering the room.

Sakura suddenly noticed someone was behind her. It was Sasuke. Their eyes met and she quickly looked away. She kept her head low as she entered the classroom. Her left hand on her hairclips as she shut him out from her peripheral view.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	4. 1.4

**(1.4)**

**THINKING ABOUT**

" ** _I want to help him."_**

-After school-

Kakashi found Sakura waiting for him outside the Literature Club room. He went inside the room and Sakura followed after him. "Take a seat.", he instructed her.

When Sakura sat down, Kakashi walked towards the filing cabinet. He opened the top drawer to look for something. He took a quick glance at her face then returned to looking through the files. "Rough week so far?"

Sakura awkwardly raised her left hand to do her usual routine with her fringes and hair accessory. Then she slid down the same hand through her left braid while looking anywhere, everywhere aside from the man in front of her.

Kakashi dropped a folder on the table and Sakura finally looked at him. "What is that?", she inquired.

Kakashi took a deep breath. "A special project.", he said as he made a move to sit on the chair opposite her at the table.

Sakura was not enthusiastic about it.

"The school is updating its official website and we've planned to conduct a survey to help us with the specifics. I was supposed to ask the student council for assistance. Instead, I'm asking you-"

"If you want my help, I'd be more than willing to help. But if you're planning to do what I think you're planning to do, then I don't want any part of it."

"Just take it Haruno.", he insisted. "If you really have issues with how Sasuke is being graded, then just think of this as the extra work for that extra point."

"Kakashi-sensei, that's still-" Sakura shook her head. "I just don't understand why _you_ would do something like this. It's not like you at all... Why is Uchiha Sasuke so important to you?"

Sasuke just so happened to arrive at that point but the two have yet to notice his presence behind the door.

Kakashi sighed. "He's uncle is a very important friend of mine. I've been asked to look out for him."

"Still. To put me in this situation?!"

"It doesn't have to be hard for you.", said Kakashi. "Why are you making such a big deal out of a small thing anyway? If getting good grades is so important to you, why can't you just go along with my request?"

Sakura gripped her skirt.

"If it makes you feel better, I do realize and appreciate your efforts-", Kakashi continued.

"BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS!", Sakura snapped. "Everyone knows how the grading system works. And everyone knows YOU would do something like this. And everyone is gonna point out how I hadn't work hard for my grade or how much I don't deserve it.

I don't like it! The feeling that I got an easy way out! Feeling like I'm not good enough! Feeling like I failed to do my part! … I'd rather look like a fool running around and chasing after Uchiha. I'd do it every day even if he rejects my help. And even if the only thing I get out of it is to have the fact that I'm just an _ugly, unpleasant, and... 'annoying'_ person pointed out to my face again and again."

"Haruno." Kakashi gave her a moment to calm down. "And why is this such a big deal to you?", he asked her with careful consideration.

Sakura took a deep breath. She hesitated before opening her mouth to speak. "I'm planning to become a doctor but... my parents aren't too fond of the idea of me going to college. … They think it's just additional expenses and that I should just help out with the family business since, I'll be the one inheriting it from them someday. … So I thought, if I worked hard enough and showed them how good I am with my studies, they would reconsider. And here I am. Always second place to the Hyuuga prodigy.

But they told me, 'No one's gonna remember some girl even if she came in second place to Hyuuga Neji during high school when he's already the head of the Hyuuga Enterprise!' … Just like that, they made my hard work look like it was... not worth anything at all!

So I... _begged_. I begged until my mom had no choice but to ask my grandparents for help. They promised to support me... on one condition; I have to surpass the Hyuuga Prodigy. … They have to be sure that I really am good enough and that their money won't be wasted on me.

I wish I could just take your offer. I really need that extra point. … But, if this is how little my own family think of my best, how will they look at me if I do surpass Hyuuga but with a grade I hadn't earned?"

Kakashi didn't know what to say to her.

"I do need to surpass Hyuuga Neji. But it was never just about achieving the higher grade. If I don't work hard to earn it then maybe my parents were right and beating Hyuuga won't mean a thing. I need to prove myself to my family but I want to prove something to myself too." She stood up. "And the fact that you told me I can't help Uchiha. To me, it feels like I have something I have to prove to you as well. So that's just what I'm going to do. I'm gonna prove to you just how wrong you were about me!"

She started slowly walking backwards as she made her way to the door, still talking. "You'll see! I'll convince him to come to school more. We'll get through senior year with our own efforts. Just so you know! I believe in Uchiha. I know he can be capable, if he only tried. We don't need your _special project_. We don't need your special treatment and consideration."

She kept backing up that Kakashi finally saw the silhouette behind the thick frosted glass on the door. "Uh, Haruno-" he tried telling her.

"I know you're worried about him but you'll see. He'll come around. I just know it. Weird as that sounds, I do believe that there's more to him than what he lets people think about him. And he gives me this feeling like he's just waiting for someone to scratch that surface and reveal just who he really is inside. … He and I might actually become good friends. ... You know, how everyone seems to hate us?" Her eyes stayed on Kakashi while her left hand was feeling for the door knob. "He might actually learn to like me as a person. I'll make him like me. He's definitely gonna l-" She felt the knob and turned it. "Love me.", she finished, finally turning around to find herself in front of Sasuke.

Sakura rolled her eyes to the right unable to make any bigger move than that. Her mouth still agape and forming a half smile. She could tell her face just spelled, 'Why me' right at that moment. Or if she could be more blunt...

**['Fuck me.']**

Sasuke did not move from the door as well. The expression on his face was unreadable as he just stared at Sakura.

The awkward situation was lasting longer than Kakashi could handle so he pretended to cough, breaking the silence.

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi who had leaned back on his chair. Then without saying a single word, he left.

Sakura released the breath she was holding. Suddenly feeling all her energy drained from her, she leaned on the door for support.

"He hates me.", she concluded and weakly slammed her forehead on the door, the 'thud' sound overwhelming the empty hallway.

 

Kakashi went for the folder and hesitated before raising it a little towards her. "Sure, you don't want it?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Eventually, Sakura had to head out as well and Sasuke was just a little ahead of her. She opened her mouth, hesitated, closed it and opened it again just to have her own hand cover it.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasuke stopped by the vending machine Sakura had seen Karin kicked just yesterday. As he was getting a drink, she was debating within herself whether to walk on ahead or stop to talk to him. She decided on the latter.

Sasuke sighed. "What?", he asked before drinking from a can of black coffee.

"So?... H-How long have you been- How much have you heard?"

He looked away. "More than necessary, I guess."

Sakura blushed. "Then, my circumstance as well.", she realized. She was so embarrassed and frustrated that she face-palmed so hard it was practically a slap. The action wouldn't be complete without her hand feeling for her accessory before letting it fall down on her side.

Before their conversation could get any further, Naruto walked by along with Shikamaru and Choji.

"Heh! These two again.", said Choji.

"Quiet, Choji.", Shikamaru told him.

Naruto had the same look he always had whenever he looked at Sasuke. It's as if he was studying him, gauging his reaction. As if he was always wary of approaching him in a way that will only offend him.

"But, everyone's talking about them.", Choji spoke again.

"I said quiet. She likes someone else remember?", Shikamaru reminded him.

Naruto looked at Sakura who was uncomfortable with the way the two boys talked about her. Then he looked at Sasuke.

Sasuke met his eyes then glanced at Sakura. He then tried to leave.

Naruto stopped him. "Sasuke!", he called. "Listen..." he ran and reached for Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke stopped and turned his head to look at Naruto.

Sakura noticed that the annoyed face he always showed her was gone. It was replaced by the stoic expression he usually had before.

Sasuke looked like he was staring at nothing. The black in his eyes had never looked so deep, endless and empty. It had Naruto pulling his hand back from him.

Naruto fisted his hands. He literally took one step back and two steps forward. "Enough already! Sasuke just come home. Your uncle's worried about you. She's worried about you! I'm worried about you... Just how long are you gonna avoid all of us?!", he confronted him.

The only answer Sasuke gave to him was a calm but sharp, "Leave me alone."

"Damn it! Sasuke! You can't live alone forever!" Naruto reached for his collar.

Sasuke struggled against his grip and he ended up pushing Naruto off.

Naruto was able to keep himself from falling and as soon as he recovered his footing, he faced Sasuke again and punched him.

Sakura gasped.

Sasuke almost fell backwards but Naruto had grabbed him by the collar again and was about to throw him another punch when Shikamaru and Choji suddenly appeared beside him, holding him in place.

"Calm down, Naruto!", Shikamaru told to him, while doing his best along with Chouji, to pull Naruto away from Sasuke.

Naruto gripped Sasuke's collar tighter while Sasuke in return grabbed Naruto's hands with an attempt to pry it off of him.

Suddenly, Sakura thought someone had to pull Sasuke away from Naruto as well. And for some reason she thought that it had to be her. The next thing she knew, she was at Sasuke's left side pulling his arms with her right hand and pushing Naruto's shoulder with her left. "Stop it! The both of you!", she yelled.

"Is this really what you want?!", Naruto shouted. "Is this what Itachi would have wanted?!"

Something in Sasuke snapped. It was his turn to shout "Don't. You. Ever. Say _HIS NAME!_ " His blood boiled and he suddenly had the strength to pull himself out of Naruto's hands.

At the same time however, Naruto's grip loosened as guilt seemed to have overwhelmed him. He and Shikamaru were able to stable themselves while Choji suddenly fell backwards at the sudden loss of the contradicting force. And Sakura was left to experience the full force of Sasuke's pull.

At some point Sasuke had accidentally grabbed her by her shirt and threw her off. Her back hit the adjacent wall hard and she fell down on her bottom, twitching in pain.

"Sakura!", came Ino's voice. She had just been looking for Sakura and witnessed everything from the stairwell.

"Sakura-chan!", worried Naruto. He was about to run to her but Ino beat him to it.

Sakura looked around her taking in everyone's reaction. Ino and Naruto looked very worried. Choji was panicking while Shikamaru was massaging his temples while muttering; 'troublesome'. Then her eyes found Sasuke who was sweating hard and looking extremely guilty.

 

He saw as Sasuke looked at his closed fist, opened it and found an object she immediately recognized was her bowtie. She suddenly realized that her shirt had been ripped open and is now missing the two top buttons.

Sakura bolted right up shaking the pain off. She held her shirt together with her left hand and started laughing at herself as if she had done something really goofy. She tried to convince everyone that she was fine, "I'm okay! Everything's fine! I was just surprised that's all.", she assured them, smiling in a way that Sasuke already know so well by now to be forced.

Naruto looked at Sasuke angrily and was about to start another fight but Sakura stepped in between them facing towards him. "That's enough, Naruto!"

Sakura tried to smile again and continued, "It was an accident. And I really am fine. Look." She bent down a bit and threw her right fist in the air while shouting 'SHANAROO!'.

"What is going on there?!" Iruka appeared to check what the commotion was all about.

Everyone aside from Sasuke and Naruto panicked. Ino grabbed Sakura's hands and ran with her so the teacher wouldn't see Sakura's tattered uniform.

She looked back and saw Shikamaru and Choji trying to distract the teacher while the other two remained still.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sakura?"

"Hi, Karin.", Sakura greeted the redhead who was staring at her disheveled look.

"What ha-" Karin couldn't finish because Sakura started bending over in agony reaching for her arms. Karin caught her and realized she was shaking and sweating hard.

"It hurts."

"She hit her back on the wall.", Ino informed Karin.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Ino had just finished repairing Sakura's shirt. She folded it and placed it on top of the table beside the needle and thread. She turned to look at Sakura who was sitting on a stool while Karin was behind her pressing ice packs on her bruised back.

"How are you doing?", asked Ino.

"Better.", Sakura answered.

"It's nothing too serious.", Karin assured her. "But with that big a bruise, It's gonna take a while to completely heal."

Ino was relieved. "Really Sakura? What were you thinking jumping in like that?!", she scolded her, standing up.

"I know. I know. It was a stupid idea. I'm sorry! ... Sorry for making you worry like that."

Karin just stayed quiet feeling like it wasn't her place to ask.

"Ne, Ino?" Sakura sounded pleading.

Ino sighed. "I get it. You're worried about those two. I'm worried about Shikamaru and Chouji as well." Ino brought up her hands to rest on her waist. She looked at the clock. "It's about time I go back anyway."

 

Ino made her way to the door. "I'll let you know what happened okay. Later. See you around Karin.", she said then disappeared into the hallway.

-She would later tell Sakura that while Karin tended to her, Iruka scolded the four boys but had to let them go when Kakashi came for them. After that they were sent home. Sasuke however did not make a move to leave the school premises and according to Shikamaru, as soon as they were dismissed he took out his phone, called someone and disappeared off to somewhere.-

Karin's phone rang. As soon as she saw who the caller was, she was more than happy to answer the call. "Y-yeah? What's up?", she talked through the phone while giving Sakura a look, asking to excuse herself.

Sakura nodded and stayed quiet.

Karin stood up but didn't even reach the door when she said, "What?" and turned back to look at Sakura. "Er… As a matter of fact, yes. ... W-Wait?!"

Karin moved the phone away from her ear and confirmed that the call ended. "Sakura?" she looked at her. "You were pushed right? How?"

"I-I jumped into this fight."

"Whose?"

"Uhm, Na-Naruto and-"

"Is she still here?!" Sasuke had suddenly entered the room panting, and found a confused Karin and a shirtless Sakura.

Her back was turned and he saw the bluish-green discoloration on her fair skin. The bruise almost the same color as her bra that had both straps moved away to the side.

Sasuke immediately turned around and Sakura tried to cover what she can with her hands.

Karin slowly shifted her gaze from Sasuke to Sakura and to Sasuke again. With a passive expression she told him, "Hey Sasuke-kun, I'm happy to see you by the way. I love you…"

Hearing this, Sakura suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"…you know that but forgive me for what I'm about to say." Karin sighed. "Get the fuck out bastard!", she commanded.

 

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasuke stood outside the Infirmary until Karin finally let him in. She offered him a seat in front of Sakura, who was now wearing her shirt but still very bashful.

As soon as Sasuke sat down, Karin started scolding him. "Jeez! What were you thinking hurting this girl?" Karin stood beside Sakura with her hand on Sakura's head

Sasuke looked annoyed but he just accepted Karin's scolding.

"Uhm, you guys are pretty close.", Sakura pointed out.

**['Where did that come from?']**

"Ah. He's engaged to me!", Karin said.

"Eh?!" Sakura was surprised to hear this. She alternately looked at the them.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed. Karin noticed it and laughed "I was just kidding."

Sakura didn't know what to say at this point.

"But he's going to become my boyfriend eventually."

"Karin!" Sasuke was irritated at this point and Karin giggled.

 

"So serious!", she told him. She had her fingers slightly stroke his shoulder as she walked passed him moving towards the chair by the nurse' table.

Sasuke glared at her, making her giggle again.

"Apologize to her properly.", she ordered and then wink at Sakura before taking her seat.

Sakura looked down and started playing with her braids.

**['I knew she was a fangirl but I didn't expect them to be this close. He even have her number.']**

Sasuke cleared his throat. When Sakura looked at him he handed her the bowtie he had held onto all this time.

"I'm sorry.", he apologized to her just like that. Then he looked away.

"Sasuke-kun, you're so cute when you're embarrassed." Karin was blushing while staring at him dreamily. Her elbows were resting on the table and her face was leaning on her palms.

Sasuke tried his best to ignore her.

Sakura took her bowtie and hesitated but eventually opened her mouth. "We're even.", she said.

Sasuke finally faced her and raise an eyebrow.

"Last time, I accidentally hit your head with the ball", Sakura reminded him. "Now we're even."

"Aa."

"Forgive me now okay?"

"For yesterday?", asked Sasuke.

Sakura nodded.

"That was not the reason why I was mad- Anyway, I just wanted to apologize and I already did that so." Sasuke stood up from his seat.

"Eh? Then me too! For these past few days, I'm sorry that I... annoyed you."

Sasuke raised his right hand to stroke his hair. "I already know why you were suddenly everywhere so, I'm sorry I called you annoying."

No one spoke after that and everyone looked anywhere but at each other.

...

Karin felt too awkward with the silence so she suddenly stood up "I just remembered, I didn't have anything for lunch and I'm really hungry so, I'm stepping out for a while."

As soon as she was out of the door, Sakura tried to speak again, "Uhm, since you already know everything, I mean you heard everything-"

"Haruno.", Sasuke interrupted her. "Give up on me."

 

"What?" Sakura blushed at that.

"I don't need help." He was suddenly serious again.

"Oh... But..."

"I'd say you're selfish, if I didn't really know the reason why you're doing this."

"..."

"Kakashi asked you not to bother with me. He didn't ask you that for my sake.", he explained. "If it werent you-" once again he didn't finish his sentence. "Anyway, you already know how things are with me and Naruto. Nothing good will come of you if you're around me."

"D-Do you hate Naruto?", she suddenly asked him.

"No.", he admitted.

"Then why don't the two of you just reconcile? He doesn't seem to hate you either. If anything, he seemed really worried about you."

"Believe it or not, we've already reconciled. We just can't go back to the way we were."

"Why? He's your best friend? ... H-He asked you to go home? Did you run away?"

**['Why am I... asking these questions?']**

He didn't answer her question anymore. "That's enough Haruno. I told you. Don't get involve with me. ... What? Don't look at me like that?"

**['Eh?!...**

Sakura then realized that she must have a worried look on her face.

**Why? Am I seriously concerned about all this?']**

"You're worried about the wrong person."

"Huh?!"

"Naruto's the one who's... lonely. He's the one y- everyone should be worried about."

**['Naruto?!']**

"What do you mean he's lonely?"

"He's surrounded by people who love and respect him but- Let's just say he acts as if he's got everything he ever wanted but that's not true at all. ... I... I've said too much."

 

**['He's...']**

"See." Sakura realized. "You're the one who worry about him the most. Ino was right... You really do look out for Naruto. Even now. In your own way. ... But then, ... Who's going to look out for you?!"

**['What the heck am I saying?!']**

"That's not for you to concern yourself with." He sounded less calm and looked away again.

"But... You're always on your own. Everyone's taken Naruto's side and you're acting like you're okay with it."

"I am okay with it.", he stated.

"You are?! I don't get it. How can you- How can anyone be okay with this?"

"It doesn't matter to me what anyone else think. I'm not doing anything wrong. I haven't done anything wrong. Not to Naruto. And definitely not to anyone else here in Konoha."

Sakura stood up. "Look. I obviously don't know anything about you. Or what happened between you and Naruto-"

"That's right. You don't know anything."

"Listen! The way I see it, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto and Karin too probably... They all care about you!"

**['Now I've done it!']**

Sasuke sighed in frustration.

"They're all worried about you-"

"They knew from the start!", he snapped. "They knew what I wanted the most. And back then, it was okay. No one tried to talk me out of it. Everything was fine since I was just... there. Until..." Sasuke gritted his teeth. "I only made a choice okay." he seemed determined to end the conversation there. "I made a choice and that's it. They didn't agree with me... so here we are."

"And maybe that's why?"

Sasuke threw his hand in the air. Of course, she would keep the conversation going. He rolled his eyes.

**['I know! I know you don't want to talk about it... but... Damn it!']**

"That's why they let you have your way 'NOW'? That's why they let you keep your distance. But don't you see it? They really don't want you to be alone but... it's like they're holding back. Like they're so afraid that if they reach out to you... that if they pull on you, they might end up pushing you further away! … And ... You regret it don't you?"

**['Damn it!']**

Sasuke blinked his eyes back towards Sakura.

"That choice... you made. Whatever it was... you regretted it. You're not happy at all."

**['DAMN IT!']**

"I- It's not- It's my life! My decision to make! My consequences to face! My burden to carry! ... It was my family! H-He was MY BROTHER! HE ASKED ME!" he ended up pouring out the frustration that seemed to have built up inside of him.

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut, turning away from her. He was angry at himself for losing it like that.

**['So there really was more to him... Uchiha Sasuke, he's just like everyone else... He's just like me... He feels.']**

"Go ahead. Get angry! Hate me! You can't hurt me because... I'm ' _nobody_ ' to you! ... That's why, Uchiha-san... I'll be the one to pull on you!"

He faced Sakura again. If he felt anything from what she had just said, he was now doing a good job at hiding it. "Oi. Weren't you listening? Didn't I tell you not to get involve with me?"

Sakura shook her head. "But you obviously need help! You're always alone. Kakashi-sensei said you're going through rough times in your life and the way I see it you're not handling it well at all."

"Just... stop." Sasuke raked his hand on his scalp. He was losing his temper again.

"No! You may be time bomb waiting to explode or a fragile glass that could break anytime, for all I care!"

Sasuke moved towards Sakura hastily, anger overwhelming him. With every step he took forward, Sakura took a step back but she kept talking.

"I'm going to be blunt and insensitive with you! I'll be the one to tell you that whatever problem you're facing right now, you're being stupid about it, trying to face it all alone! You need someone to pull you in the right direction and it's going to be me. I'll pull you. And I'll keep pulling you until I get you out of whatever hell you think you're in!"

Sasuke caught her by her shoulders. "Shut up!", he yelled at her squeezing a bit too hard.

 

Sakura flinched at his touch and he knew he had gone too far. Sasuke immediately let her go and backed away from her.

**['That face he's making. It' just like earlier.']**

"I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid to be hated by you. You'd be just another name in a very long list. So... I take back what I said earlier... Don't love me! We don't have to be friends. But let me help you!"

"Wow." Sasuke said in a painfully sarcastic way. "You _are_ selfish after all.", he told her and moved towards the door.

Sakura fought the urge to execute her mannerism. Her left hand closed into a fist. "That's right! I'm selfish! I do what I want! And right now...

**['I want to help him!**

I want to help you! I don't want to give up on you! I can't just look away from this. I can't leave you alone anymore. Not after hearing all that! Not after...

**...Seeing that face you made!']**

How can I possibly abandon someone who made that sort of face the moment he realized he had hurt someone?!", she yelled.

Sasuke stopped just as he was outside the door. He turns to say; "You really are annoying." before walking away from her for good. He didn't sound angry anymore.

Sakura ran out after him but stopped just outside the door. He stared at Sasuke's retreating back.

"Uchiha Sasuke!", she called him.

Sasuke slightly turned his head on reflex but did not looked back at her and did not stop.

"We're not done yet! I'm not done yet! You hear me?! I..." Sakura adjusted her voice to sound less threatening. "S-See you tomorrow Uchiha-san.", she made it sound like it was just a casual goodbye.

Sasuke walked on.

Sakura released a heavy breath as soon as Sasuke disappeared into the corner. Then, she suddenly realized someone else was there. She looked behind her to find Karin leaning on the wall beside the door. She hadn't notice her since she kept her eyes on Sasuke.

"Er… Karin? W-Were you there the whole time?", Sakura wondered.

"That was way better than my confession.", she commented without meeting Sakura's gaze.

Sakura felt compelled to clear things up. "No! That was! I'm not- To Uchiha- that way! ... I like someone-"

Karin suddenly hugged her.

Sakura blushed slightly. "K-Karin?"

"Thank you, Sakura. For that. For saying what I couldn't. For saying what _we_ couldn't."

Karin let her go and then smiled at her.

"Ah." Sakura smiled back.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	5. 1.5

**(1.5)**

**UGLY TRUTH**

" ** _How long have I been staring?"_**

-Friday-

It was raining that day.

Kakashi called Sakura out a few times in class for not paying attention and for glancing at the door from time to time.

Each time, Ino, Naruto and Shikamaru would all glance at her worriedly. And each time Sakura would just apologize to Kakashi and smile at them weakly.

Sasuke's seat was empty the whole morning.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sakura.", Ino called her.

Sakura, who had been leaning on her desk, raised her head. She found Ino standing beside her. "Eh?! Is it Lunch break already?" Sakura realized as she looked around the almost empty classroom.

"Sorry Sakura!" Ino brought her palms together. "Tenten wants to go over the lessons. Could you wait a bit for me? I'll make it fast."

"It's okay Ino. You can take your time.", Sakura assured her. "I'm not very hungry today anyway." Sakura took out a stationery set. "I think I'll do some studying myself."

"Then why not join us?", Ino suggested, pointing towards Tenten's seat where the girl was waiting.

"Nah. If I'm there you can't focus on Tenten." Sakura stood up. "I'll be at the library. I need a certain book for reference."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well if you changed your mind, we'll just be right here okay?"

"Okay." Sakura nodded then stood up from her chair.

Ino watched her as she left the room then looked at Tenten.

Tenten could only shrug.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Hi Sakura.", Hinata greeted Sakura as soon as she walked in the library.

"Oh hey, Hinata.", Sakura greeted back. "The librarian isn't here?"

"No. She's on her lunch break. Did you need something from her? Maybe I could be of assistance."

"Ah no. Not really. I know where to look."

"Okay. But if you need help with anything, feel free to come to me."

"Yeah sure. Thanks."

Hinata picked up a stack of books. "I'll just be around there, returning these books."

Sakura nodded then walked towards an empty table. She laid down her things while watching Hinata carry the books all the way to the back of the library.

Then she noticed a group of girls on the farthest table. There was another student - she wasn't sure if it was a girl or a boy - behind a bookshelf nearby.

Sakura then went to one of the bookshelf and started her search for a certain book.

As she was looking through the titles, she heard the group of girls laughing too loudly for being inside the library. She ignored the noise and went on with her search. She eventually found the book she needed but, before she could grab it, the girls broke into another fit of laughter and this time it was louder.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and moved back to the end of the shelf. She took a look at the girls and rolled her eyes as soon as she recognized who they were. It was the same group of girls who likes to gossip about her.

**['Them again.']**

They were snickering among themselves while looking at Hinata. One moment, one of the girls was pointing at Hinata and then the next, she suddenly looked out of character. She was playing with both of her index finger and pretending to be fidgety.

Sakura shifted her gaze to the lone girl that was now feeling very insecure. She looked back at the table, and found that the girls was now doing some sort of act which Sakura could only conclude as a supposed horrible impersonation meant to insult Hinata.

Sakura's face contorted as she felt disgusted by the bunch. Then she realized that one of the four girls on that table was now pointing at her, alerting the others that she was looking. The rest turned their attention to her.

One of the girls narrowed her eyes at Sakura as if daring her to do something about it.

Suddenly feeling intimidated, Sakura ended up looking away and the girls snorted and cackled.

"Hinata-chan!", one of them called the lone girl. "Come here a sec' would ya'?"

Hinata reluctantly approached them.

"Come sit with us.", they insisted.

Obviously against her will, Hinata sat where she was instructed to; between two girls.

"You're Neji-kun's cousin right?", asked one of the girls.

Hinata nodded in response.

"You would know if she has a girlfriend wouldn't you?", inquired another.

"I-I think h-he does-doesn't have one... but I'm not really sure.", answered Hinata. "I'm s- sorry."

"Then what about… Naruto-kun? You're the one who got paired with him, right?"

Hinata blushed. "Eh? N-Naruto-kun?"

"Look! She's blushing!"

"No way! So you really do like Naruto-kun?!"

"But, seriously girl, you don't really think he's gonna be... oh you know... interested in you. I mean, come on."

"Do you really think Naruto-kun will enjoy your company?"

"Just think of it like this, Naruto-kun deserves someone who can match his... energy. Someone outgoing. Someone bubbly and fun. Someone like... Ami."

"You see, Ami-chan here, is really interested in dating either Neji or Naruto-kun." The girl pointed at the one who narrowed her eyes at Sakura earlier.

"That's right Hinata-chan, I was hoping you could help me out with either of them, Naruto-kun preferably. He seems less... boring.", said the girl named Ami. "We are friends aren't we? I mean if we weren't, we wouldn't be this nice to you now, would we?"

Hinata flinched between the two girls.

One of them was brushing Hinata's hair with her fingers a little too rough while the other one holds her in place.

Sakura had enough of them and gritted her teeth. "Hey! Stop it!", she yelled as she walked towards them.

The girls turned to look at her. Ami had an unreadable expression that made her scary.

Her friends braised themselves as if something interesting was going to happen while Hinata looked at her worriedly.

Sakura halted. She took a deep breath as if it would make her braver. "Y-You're bothering her, c-can't you see that? L-leave her alone.", she stammered, a single drop of sweat rolls down her left cheek.

Ami smiled at her in amusement then she stood up and slowly walked towards Sakura.

"Sakura-chan.", she said as she stopped just in front of Sakura. "Ino-san is not here with you?"

Ami look around then turned to Sakura again with a smirk. "So you're now brave enough to talk to me like that even without Ino by your side. My, how you've grown."

Ami reached out for one of Sakura's braids. "Your hair's longer too." Her hold becomes a grip and she suddenly pulled on Sakura's hair, harshly.

Sakura was pulled forward disgracefully.

Ami then grabbed Sakura by her cheeks. Her fingers pressing down on Sakura's face so hard. "But you're still as ugly as ever!" Ami scoffed while giving her a condescending glare.

"The only one making an unattractive face right now is you.", came a male voice.

Both of them looked at the boy between the bookshelves they were adjacent to.

Ami immediately released Sakura as soon as she realized that it was Uchiha Sasuke.

He stood casually with his hands in his pocket. His face showed no emotion whatsoever.

Sakura straightens herself as Ami stepped back. "D- Did you just call me ugly?!", she sneered. "Do you have any idea who I am?! Who my boyfriend is?!"

"Hn. Someone who's neither a certain Hyuuga nor a certain Uzumaki, unfortunately."

"Y- You heard that?!" she was flustered. "Fuck you Uchiha! You're nothing!" She glared at him then turned to Sakura.

"You and I aren't done yet.", Ami told her then trudged away.

Ami's three friends bolted out of the library after her.

"Ami!"

"Hold on."

"Wait for us!"

Sakura watched them slow down as they passed by the librarian who just came back from her lunch break.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Hinata stood from where she was forced to sit and walked towards Sakura. "Sorry for causing you trouble. And thank you!" she bowed.

"Huh? I didn't... really do anything though."

"That's not true. You stood up for me Sakura." said Hinata. Then she turned to Sasuke. "Uchiha-san as well; Thank you for coming to Sakura's rescue."

Sakura just remembered that he was there.

She glanced at Sasuke and saw that he was facing towards her and now that she had looked at him, he gave himself a moment to study her face.

She was suddenly aware of how painful her cheeks were. Her hands shot up to soothe her facial muscles. She still had a plaster on her nose and now her cheeks are probably going to get bruised.

"Do you have a superhero complex or something?", he asked.

"Eh?! N-" Before she could even touch her head, Sasuke walked away as soon as he was done speaking.

Hinata was watching them. "Is everything okay between the two of you?", she asked Sakura.

Sakura didn't know how to answer her. "Ehehe~ Oh! I just remembered, I need to... find this book... so..." she tried to talk her way out of it.

Hinata probably took the hint because she didn't ask anymore, "Oh, I understand... Thank you again for what you did for me Sakura."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura sighed. She was relieved as soon she was out of Hinata's sight but only tensed up again when she realized that she walked into the same aisle where Sasuke was.

Sasuke noticed that he was no longer alone.

"No! I'm not following you!" Sakura raised her hands and waved them. "I'm just here for a book."

Sasuke didn't say anything to her and went back to looking around the bookshelves.

Sakura held her braids as she walked further into the aisle. She tried to remember where she had found the book she was about to pick up a while ago. "So, you were at school after all." She tried to make light conversations. "Were you here the whole time?"

...

 

Feeling ignored, Sakura lowered her head and sighed in disappointment.

"I just got here."

Sakura's face lit up when he answered her. She loosened up but kept her movements small. With a smile, she resumed her search while trying her best not to steal a glance at him.

"Found it.", she murmured and reached out for the book she was looking for. But then, she noticed someone else's hands going for it.

'His' hands.

The two of them looked at each other; both their hands were still in the air, inches away from the book. They're proximity reminded Sakura just how tall Sasuke was and how small she was in comparison.

She was the first to withdraw. "Oh. So you were gonna do the homework too?!... You go ahead and use it first." she stepped back.

She ran back to the table to pick up her things and in her haste she didn't realize that one of her hairclips was loosened and had fallen off.

"Sakura?", called Hinata.

Sakura ran out of the library without even sparing the worried girl a look.

**.**

**.**

**.**

It was still raining.

Sakura found solace in the stairwell. She was just fixing her left braid that almost got undone with the incident earlier.

She suddenly stopped fumbling with the ends of her braids and covered her face with both hands then lowered her head in frustration.

**['After all that talk yesterday, I ended up running away from him. I'm so pathetic!']**

She was about to find out that she was missing one hair clip when her phone rang before her hand reached the spot where it was supposed to be.

Her phone rang for a long time, went silent and rang again. She took a deep breath and answered it this time.

"Hi!" She tried so hard to sound happy.

_"Hey there."_

-came a silvery male voice.

_"Is this a good time to talk?"_

"Yes. Of course. Sorry I missed the first ring.", Sakura lied. "How are you doing? How's college?"

_"Hectic. I've been really busy. I got a practice thesis coming up."_

"Already?" she stood up and walk towards the railing.

_"Yep. I'd really love to focus on it but I've got all this other homework to do as well."_

"What kind of homework?" she started listening closely that she didn't notice someone walking down the stairs.

_"The usual, Essays. Reports. You know."_

"Oh. Can I help?"

_"If you're not busy."_

"Not at all."

_"Thanks I'd appreciate it... Although, hearing your voice already makes me feel like I can do anything."_

Sakura chuckled. "Oh Sasori. It's nice to hear your voice too." she relaxed. "I missed you."

_"Hm. I missed you too. ... I gotta go. Call you again tonight."_

Sakura lowered her phone holding it to her chest. She was feeling so bashful that her left hand tried to cover her lips. She was smiling softly.

"So you can smile like a normal person."

Sakura heard as she saw an arm appear from her left peripheral view.

She turned and came face to face with Sasuke - their nose, only an inch apart.

The wind blew in and it seemed to have blown everything away with it. It was suddenly silent. The surrounding became fuzzy.

"W-W-What was that?", she spoke just to break the deafening silence.

"You can… smile properly after all." he used his index finger to draw a curve at the corner of his lips for visual emphasis.

This made Sakura looked at his thin, firm lips closely. And then, she took in the rest of Sasuke's features;

His long, pointed nose. His beautiful, mesmerizing eyes. His elegant, expressive eyebrows.

**['He's more handsome when his eyebrows aren't furrowed and did not form creases on his forehead.']**

Sometime ago, the rain stopped.

**['How long have I been staring?']**

"I-I-I don't w-want to hear that f-from y- a person who doesn't _smile_ AT ALL."

Sasuke straightened his back and was now taller than her again. She realized that he had placed the book and her hairclip on top of the concrete railing in front of her.

Sasuke looked away from her when he noticed someone else there.

Sakura turned her head to look in the same direction he was facing. She saw Naruto staring back at them from the landing of the stairs that lead to the lower floor. He just stood there unmoving. "Naruto, what were you- Where you headed to the library?"

Naruto nodded but kept his gaze at Sasuke. "I'm meeting Hinata-chan there."

"Hand in my homework will you?", Sasuke told Sakura then moved away from her.

Sakura was confused for a moment but she looked carefully at the book again and there was in fact a piece of paper between the pages. When she turned to look at Sasuke again, he was already moving towards the stairs.

"Why not do it yourself?", asked Naruto, finally ascending the steps.

"Can't stay. Got work today.", Sasuke answered as he descended.

Sakura stayed silent. Both boys had a serious, passive expression on their faces.

"You came to school just to do that one homework?"

"Aa." Sasuke stopped when he stood side by side with Naruto on the same step. "Since someone went through all the trouble of handing it to me the other day."

Surprised, Naruto turned his head to look at Sasuke as he descended the stairwell without looking back. Then he turned to look at Sakura and found that she was just as surprised as him.

"Er... He's something else isn't he?", Naruto implied as he awkwardly took the last steps up to the third floor.

Sakura nodded in response. She pocketed her phone, picked up her hair clip and ran the fingers of her free hand on the cover of the book.

Naruto hesitated as he was about to ascend the stairs all the way to the fourth floor. He stopped and walked towards Sakura instead.

"We had the same child psychiatrist!", he started too loud that he startled Sakura. He then lowered his voice as he continued. "That's how we first met. We lost both our parents at a young age. We were only about eight then."

Naruto moved closer to Sakura. He stood beside her, also resting his hand on the concrete railing. "We had a rough start, but somehow we just knew that we were gonna be good friends."

Sakura listened to him attentively.

"I was happy to have someone who just... understood me, you know? Unlike other people who were just pretending to know what it feels like to lose someone they love."

Naruto went from smiling weakly to a serious expression. "I had to live with my mother's relatives. Sasuke was in the same situation, with his father's relative. We both felt like we didn't belong. We were the only ones who understood each other. He was all I have then. He was my only friend. And I thought that it was the same for him. That I was also all he had."

Sakura remained silent.

"Then, I found out that he had an older brother. Itachi - he was forced to grow up so fast. He didn't have time to mourn their parent's death unlike Sasuke. Their grandfather took him in and raised him to be his future heir... They had to grow up separately.

But seeing Itachi again someday was what kept Sasuke going. The reason he tried to be a good boy. The reason he did his best at everything. He had hoped that if he was good enough, his grandfather would take him in as well and then he and his brother could be together.

All that time, I thought Sasuke would eventually just forget about him. But all he wanted was to be with his brother."

…

**/"They knew from the start... They knew what I wanted the most. And back then, it was okay. No one tried to talk me out of it. Everything was fine since I was just... there. Until..."/**

…

Naruto smiled again but this time, it was filled with regret. "When we were thirteen, Itachi found a way to see him again. He came along and I felt betrayed and left out... I literally made him choose between our friendship and his relationship with his brother. He obviously chose Itachi.

That's when I knew, we wouldn't always be together. When we got into our freshman year of high school, he spent more time with his brother and I made other friends. I started living a life that was just all about me because I thought that that was what he was also doing."

Sakura could see every emotion behind Naruto's words.

"And I enjoyed it. Having lots of friends. Having the respect and attention of a lot of people. I became popular and the distance between as grew." Naruto paused and suddenly seemed like he was in so much pain.

"Naruto?"

"Itachi died of Cancer in early March.", he continued.

Sakura fell silent again.

"He had been battling it for a while and... he lost... He was only 22... All he wanted was to spend some time with Sasuke before he-... Sasuke attended to him alone while he was slowly deteriorating. Sasuke was alone when he watched him die. Sasuke was alone when they had a burial for him."

…

**/"It's my life! My decision to make! My consequences to face! My burden to carry! ... It was my family! H-He was MY BROTHER! HE ASKED ME!"/**

…

Sakura was fighting her tears at that point.

Naruto turned around and rested his elbows on the railing instead. "By the time I found out, Itachi had already been buried. I had too much on my plate with being the Student council president, and Sasuke just didn't have enough reason to live anymore."

Naruto started rubbing the back of his head. He smiled at Sakura painfully. "When I finally got to talk to him, he just acted like nothing big ever happened between us. He went on with his life but he just seemed different. I tried to go back to the way we were but... as you can see~

And I can't blame him because, I set up this situation. I told him, we were his family. We were his home. But I couldn't trust his decisions and made it obvious how weak and stupid I considered him to be. I fought him and told him that if he went to his brother he was throwing away our friendship.

I had him make a choice. I wanted him to choose us and got mad when he didn't and in so doing, I made him feel like he didn't belong with us anymore."

…

**/"I only made a choice okay... I made a choice and that's it. They didn't agree with me... so here we are."/**

…

Sakura blinked and one tear escaped, rolling down her cheek. She looked up at the clearing sky as she wiped the rest of the tears forming in her eyes.

Naruto lowered his head. "In Sasuke's eyes, it's like I'm transparent now. He doesn't see me anymore. I'm not who he wants to see."

…

  **/"You're worried about the wrong person. … Naruto's the one who's... lonely. He's the one y- everyone should be worried about. … He's surrounded by people who love and respect him but- Let's just say he acts as if he's got everything he ever wanted but that's not true at all..."/**

…

**['He's wrong. Uchiha has never stopped worrying about him.']**

"That's not true! He-"

"But he sees you!", Naruto suddenly pointed out.

Sakura was taken aback by that statement. She wanted to look into Naruto's eyes but he was looking away on purpose to hide his face.

"Sakura-chan", he murmured. "I'm not sure why you're suddenly going out of your way just to reach out to him but..."

Sakura felt like she needed to explain herself. "I..."

"Well, this has gotten extremely depressing!", Naruto cut her off. "But, it felt sort of good to get that out of my chest. ... Sorry I just started blurting out those words." He cheered up but it was forced. "You changed Sakura-chan! You wouldn't usually take the time to listen to me."

Sakura lowered her head feeling guilty. She held on to her clip tightly.

He started walking back towards the stairwell. "I gotta go. Hinata's been waiting long.", he said without even looking at her again.

"Wait! Naruto!", she called him and he halted without turning around. "Thank you. For telling me." she bowed her head.

He slightly turned around just enough for her to see the corners of his lips forming a smile. He looked forward again and ascended the stairs.

Sakura gave herself a moment to appreciate the warm rays of the sun as it peeked out from behind the clouds.

She set her hair clip back in place and nodded to herself.

**['It's not just about me anymore. I know too much now. In order to make up for how bad I've been treating Naruto and in order to help Uchiha as well; I definitely need to make our pair work.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Saturday-

"Hey Ino?"

"Hm?" Ino looked at Sakura as she pulled out her slippers from the shoe locker.

"Do you think it's possible to have like... a very brief moment but feel like you're experiencing it for a lot longer than that?", asked Sakura with an absent expression. She had her hand on her own shoe locker but was not making any move to open it. She just stared at nothing in particular, keeping still.

"What?" Ino raised an eyebrow.

"A moment wherein… you know that the wind was blowing but you can't even feel it? ... Or you know that it was raining but you can't hear the sound that the raindrops make as it hits the ground or any other surface? ... Like everything around you is suddenly just... a white blur?", she continued without even sparing Ino a look.

"Did you read that from a new romance novel?"

"R-Romance?" Sakura looked at Ino. "I mean yeah. Something like that."

"Well, tell me how it turns out so I can borrow it if it's a good one."

"S-Sure."

Ino suddenly elbowed Sakura's side to alert her of Sasuke's arrival.

Sakura quickly noticed him. "Good morning.", she greeted but this time she did not force a smile. She just kept it casual. "You're early?"

"Aa." Sasuke took his time, as usual, studying her facial features. "It didn't bruised.", he noted.

Sakura's hands shot up to touch her own cheeks. "Y-Yeah."

"Hn." Sasuke proceeded to change his shoes.

Ino was gaping at them the entire time.

"Oh, before I forget." Sakura took something out of her bag. "Here." she handed Sasuke the book from before.

Sasuke placed his black leather shoes inside his locker before looking at her again.

"You borrowed this from the Library yesterday and you're supposed to return it not later than today.", she reminded him.

"Aa." Sasuke took the book and then went ahead.

Ino was suddenly pulling on Sakura's hand. "You… He… But how… Since when?!"

Sakura couldn't focus on her though. She just kept her eyes on Sasuke's back. She hesitated but then decided to call him; "Uchiha-san!"

Sasuke stopped and slowly looked back at her.

"Uhm... Next time! ... Next time let's do the homework together okay?" She lowered her head and braised herself for his rejection.

"Aa."

Sakura raised her head to look at him.

As if Sasuke knew that she wanted to make sure she heard him right, he nodded at her.

Sakura's face lit up

He went on his way.

She smiled.

~ _This changes everything,_

_I could tear you up to shreds_

_It don't mean anything_

_If I live to regret_

_Going through the motions_

_When there's no emotion_

_Left to feel_

_Left to feel_

_You don't know_

_You're so oblivious_

_To words I've never said_

_Isn't it obvious_

_That we would always get_

_To a place_

_Where we would make mistakes_

_All you've seen is beauty_

_Well, this is the ugly_

_This is the ugly truth_

_You're gonna feel the sting_

_From my black and yellow heart_

_The walls are caving in_

_They're not strong enough to last_

_We are void but open_

_To a life we've broken_

_Shall we leave?_

_Shall we leave?_

_You don't know_

_You're so oblivious_

_To words I've never said_

_Isn't it obvious_

_That we would always get_

_To a place_

_Where we would make mistakes_

_All you've seen is beauty_

_Well, this is the ugly,_

_This is the ugly truth_

_This is the ugly, this is the ugly truth_

_You're so oblivious_

_To words I've never said_

_Isn't it obvious_

_That we would always get_

_To a place_

_Where we would make mistakes_

_All you've seen is beauty,_

_Well this is the ugly_

_This is the ugly truth_

_This is the ugly truth_

_This is the ugly truth_

_(UGLY TRUTH - Lauren Aquilina_ )~

"Tell me forehead! What did I missed?!", Ino questioned Sakura

"Hai. Hai. Hold on." Sakura reached for her shoe locker.

* * *

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

Sakura checks her reflection in the mirror inside her locker. She had changed back from the scrubs to her casual clothes.

The brown-haired woman appeared in the back. "Sakura?! You're still here? Don't you have a train to catch?", she asked Sakura.

"Oh, Dr. Shizune. I- uhm..." she met the woman's eyes through their reflection.

The woman sighed. "I'm calling Doctor Yamanaka. She knew you would do something like this." She took out her phone and walked away.

It was Sakura's turn to sigh.

She closed her locker. The mirror reflects nothing but darkness.

~CLACK, CLACK, CLACK, Clack, Clack, clack, clack, cla- ~

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_Noir_ **

 

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_TBC_ **


	6. 2.1

**(2.1)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _I've only just began to turn your world upside down."_**

**_Noir_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

The door opens allowing the light from the hallway to enter the room.

A girl with rose gold hair and green eyes walked inside the apartment. She had her phone between her left cheek and shoulder.

_"I just knew you were going to keep yourself busy with work until the last minute."_

Ino's voice sounded disappointed.

_"I should've dragged you with me when I left. Why did I even agree to get here ahead of you knowing so well you'd do something like this?!"_

"You're the one who wanted to help your mother pick out the flowers for the wedding." Sakura found the light switch and pressed it using her knuckles since she was still holding her keys.

_"Are you sure you're not doing this on purpose to avoid Uzumaki? ... Is this about him?! Sakura, I thought you said you were over that?!"_

Sakura kicked the door closed behind her and dropped her keys in the trey on top of the getabako. Then she laid her tote bag beside the trey.

With her left hand finally free, Sakura held the phone to her ear. "You really want to do this right now?"

She carefully laid the big box - that she had been struggling to keep in place under her right arm - beside her bag.

"...If you really want me to catch my train, you should just let me get on with my packing."

Ino sighed.

_"Of course, you're only going to pack now."_

Sakura struggled to remove her shoes and maneuver her coat off of her while staying on the line.

_"Well, it's a good thing I had packed your things beforehand."_

"What?!" Sakura dropped her coat on top of the box and quickly made her way to her bedroom.

**.**

**.**

**.**

 

She moved towards her wardrobe and opened it. She went through her clothes and found a lot of vacant cloth hangers.

Then she moved to the foot of her bed and kneeled down to pull something underneath. The suitcase was heavy.

**['That's definitely not empty.']**

Upon opening it, she found that it was filled with some of her neatly packed clothes. She held the phone to her ear again. "Since when?"

_"Since I packed my stuff four days ago. When was the last time you were home? How come you're finding this out just now? ... Anyway, I had a feeling you might use getting late and missing the train as an excuse to bail on us."_

"I wasn't going to bail! I was just... I've been busy!"

_"Uh-huh. If you say so."_

Ino didn't believe her.

_"By the way you should start getting ready. You have about an hour until the cab gets there."_

"Cab? Why would a cab-"

_"It's going to take you to the station."_

Sakura stood up. "I see you went ahead and took care of that as well."

_"Yep! The landlady will come over there to inform you when it has arrived. She'll probably kick you out of the unit while she's at it, so just be prepared for that."_

"What?!" Sakura threw her hand. "You got her in on this too?!"

_"Tick-tock Forehead... Oh! Don't you DARE forget to bring the dress! I'll call you when you get to the station. Bye."_

~Beep~

**.**

**.**

**.**

"I just got on the train.", Sakura spoke through her phone.

She was wearing a dark green shirt dress paired with her black moccasins. Her hair was tied in a single braid.

"So~ how's the bride?", asked Sakura as she was looking for her seat.

_"She's blooming! She can't wait for her big day!"_

Ino answered her in a sing-song voice.

Sakura awkwardly squeezed herself passed the other passengers moving across the aisle. "That's... nice."

She checks her ticket and confirmed her seat. She settles her bag in and sat down.

_"So, what did you get them for a gift?"_

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut mentally kicking herself. "..."

_"You didn't forget to buy a gift did you?"_

"I, uhm..."

_"You forgot!"_

"Ino, what am I going to do?!" Sakura started to panic.

_"Okay. Relax Forehead! You've got time. You can do some last minute shopping."_

"You're right!" Sakura stood up and was about to get her suitcase.

_"Sit down Sakura! I don't mean you have to do it now."_

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

_"You know, I can't see the face you're making right now."_

"Yet you know that I'm making a face. And you seem to know I just stood up."

_"So I was right. Anyway, sit down. Well figure out the present when you get here."_

"You must think you're some kind of genius who got me all figured out right now, don't you?" Sakura sat down.

_"What would you do without me?"_

_"Ino, we're ready!"_

Sakura heard a male's voice at the background.

"Who's that?!"

_"Who's what?"_

"That voice."

_"What voice?"_

"That voice who obviously called your name just now, Ino-pig!"

_"Oh that! I'm here at the flower shop right now. You probably heard a customer. One of our regulars-"_

"I thought you said that the shop was closed for today?!"

_"I... I gotta go Forehead! You know. Busy, busy, busy. I'll see you in a few hours."_

"W- Ino? Ino?!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

The train had been moving for a while now.

Sakura took a moment to look away from her book so she can appreciate the wide foliage that's starting to replace the tall buildings.

When the glare of the sun was just making it hard for her to look out the window, she returned to her book and began reading.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

Sakura tucked some strands of hair behind her ear as her eyes carefully went over the paragraph.

She laid the paper on the desk and poised her pen.

She crossed out the fourth and last paragraph. The previous three was marked with multiple corrections. The margins of the printed paper were filled with her notes. She began writing something under the crossed-out paragraph.

"College homework? Is that for your boyfriend?"

Sakura looks away from the paper and up to the handsome boy in front of her.

Sasuke was taking a break from his work.

"Huh?" She raised her head. "He's not my boyfriend. N-Not yet... But yes. This is his. He's got a lot on his plate so I'm doing what I can to help him."

"By doing his homework for him?"

"I'm not doing it for him. I didn't write this from scratch. I'm just checking what he's done so far. Making necessary corrections. Revising what needs revising.", she explained.

"Ah. If you say so.", said Sasuke then returned to solving an equation.

"No! You have something on your mind. Tell me."

The orange sky is visible through the window.

They stayed behind after school to do some supplementary studying. Sakura had the desk in front of Sasuke's seat turned and joined to his.

"It's just that, with all the fuss you had with Kakashi, I'd expect you to be… strict with him as well. I guess he's the only exemption.", said Sasuke without looking away from his work.

"He's not... This is not cheating. It's not the same thing. He just needs help writing his Essays. Like I said, I'm just checking it for necessary revisions.", she reasoned as she adjusted her hair clip. "I'm not doing all the work for him like Kakashi-sensei used to do for y-"

"He's never done... a single of my work for me, for your information. In fact, he actually finds me dull to teach because I'm a fast learner."

"Okay... Well, I'm just helping Sasori... like I'm helping you now."

"You point out my errors and give me guidelines. You don't... 'Tamper' with my final work.", he stressed.

"I'm not-"

"You clearly added three or more paragraphs to that. I see, you even printed out a copy of an entire module just to be able to understand the topic."

Sakura moves the papers under her math book. "Okay, I admit it. I may have expanded his answer a bit. It's just that I found the topic to be very interesting. I may have been too excited with the Essay."

"Why don't you just work on it with him then? It's his homework. You said you found it interesting. Just give him a lecture and have him write what he remembers from it."

"Oh, Sasori, he's smart but he's just too concentrated on his major. He's not too enthusiastic about exploring topics that are not related to his field. A few seconds into the lecture and he'd give up listening to me."

"Not even if you're the one giving it? ... He won't even pretend to be interested just so he could listen to your voice?"

Sakura found herself staring at Sasuke in awe.

Sasuke finished the problem he was working on. He raised his head and saw Sakura making a face at him. "What?"

She smiled. "Aww~ I didn't know you had a sweet side.", she teased "Uchiha, I think you're going to become a good boyfriend to that lucky girl out there someday."

"S-Stop that!", he ordered.

Sakura giggled. "I think I understand why Karin likes teasing you."

"Hn!" Sasuke decided to proceed with the next problem.

"I meant it though. I hope you fall in love soon Uchiha." She smiled softly at him.

"Sasuke." He kept his eyes on his notebook.

"Huh?"

"Just call me Sasuke."

"Oh." Sakura was surprised. She slightly blushed and looked down on her hands. "Then, Sa-Sasuke." she tested calling him. "It feels sort of weird calling you by name all of a sudden."

"Hn. You already did it before though."

"Really? When? I don't remember."

"That day I called you... annoying."

Sakura looked up and had her right index finger on her chin. She tried to remember. Suddenly, she was blushing.

"Oh that! You're right. I did yell 'Sasuke-kun' back then... That sounded better. It feels less weird. I'll call you Sasuke-kun starting today."

"Aa."

"Then me too!"

Sasuke looked at her.

"Call me Sakura from now on okay?"

…

"Sakura-chan!", Naruto called her as he entered the room.

Hinata was right behind him. She gave Sakura and Sasuke a bow.

"I thought you already went home?", wondered Sakura.

"I offered to walk Hinata-chan home but she realized she had forgotten her phone.", explained Naruto as Hinata went and looked underneath her desk

Naruto walked closer to Sakura. "Y-Yo.", he reluctantly greeted Sasuke.

"Hn.", Sasuke responded with a small nod

"So what problem are you working on now, Sakura-chan?" Naruto leaned forward to check the page of the book. He rested his right hand on the top rail of Sakura's backrest.

Sasuke looked away.

"I found it!", Hinata informed them.

"Right.", said Naruto as he straightened up.

"Well we're going ahead. Sakura-chan." Naruto looked at her and then at Sasuke. "Teme." he used a careful tone.

"Aa."

**['Naruto is loud and cheerful while Sasuke is aloof and collected. But around each other, they both turn broody.']**

Sakura raised her eyebrows at Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed. "S-See you around Dobe."

The two looked at each other for a brief moment until Naruto nodded. "Okay."

He looked away and met Hinata at the door.

"Bye Sakura. Bye Uchiha-san.", said Hinata.

"Bye Hinata. Naruto." Sakura then turned back to Sasuke as soon as they were gone. "I'm so proud of you! You got to say more than just a syllable this time... And I see you started calling each other by your pet names again."

"Don't make a big deal out of it. Like I said, we've already reconciled. The fight last time was random. Naruto is just the type of person who gets fired up when he wants to get something across to you. It's his way."

**['He's defending Naruto's actions.']**

"I know. I believe you. Also..." Sakura thought for a moment. "Naruto said the same thing. ... Actually, there's something I have to admit to you."

Sasuke looked at her, indicating that he's given her his attention.

"I know about... Naruto mentioned Ita- He mentioned your... brother."

"Hn." Sasuke started writing again. "I wasn't really trying to keep him a secret, at least not anymore. ... It's just that no one really knew him so I didn't talk about him."

"I see... He also said you were having trouble with your guardian. Is that why you ran away-"

"It's getting late." Sasuke stood up and started putting away his things. "Let's just continue the rest tomorrow."

Sakura got the message. "Oh okay."

**.**

**.**

**.**

The sky had gotten dark and the lights of lamp post had come on. Sakura and Sasuke sat on each side of the lone bench of the shed, leaving a very wide space in between them.

Sakura's legs were crossed at her ankles, her hands rested on her lap.

Sasuke's leg were slightly spread open, his hands were inside his pocket.

"You don't have to do this every time you know.", said Sakura. "You don't have to wait with me until the bus gets here. Don't you have to take a nap before you go to your night job?"

"I'm just making sure you go home and don't follow me back to mine."

"What?! I would never! Hmp!", she muttered. "And all this time I thought you were just trying to be nice." She pouted and looked the other way.

Not long after, the bus arrived. Sakura quickly stood up. Without even sparing Sasuke a look she walked towards the bus, got on and made it all the way to the back before finding a seat.

She sat down on the side of the bus closer to the shed. From the corners of her eyes, she saw Sasuke stand up and make a move to leave.

He walked towards the opposite direction the bus was headed to.

Sakura looked away so he wouldn't see her glancing at him as he walked by.

"Sakura.", he called her.

Surprised to hear her name from his mouth for the first time, she immediately turned her head and found him standing just outside her window.

"Get home safe.", he told her with a soft expression on his face.

Sakura couldn't react fast enough as the bus started to move. She kept her eyes on him until he was no longer visible to her.

As she leaned back on her chair, her right hand reached for her mouth in order to cover her smile.

She found herself enjoying the rest of the ride home.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Next day; Lunch break-

Sakura approached Sasuke who was leaning forward on his desk. "You weren't kidding when you said you were weak in the morning.", she told him.

"Good work surviving the morning class." Sakura placed a canned coffee drink on Sasuke's desk beside his head.

Sasuke felt it and glanced at the drink. "Thanks.", he said weakly as he raised his head. He straightened up and grabbed the can.

Sakura's phone rang. She smiled when she read who the caller was and quickly answered the call. "Sasori?"

_"Hey Sakura. You're on lunch break now right."_

"Yes."

She looked at Sasuke who was already drinking the coffee and excused herself. However, she did not walk away from Sasuke. Instead, she sat on the chair in front of his desk.

_"I wanted to check if you're done revising my Essay."_

"Yes I am. I already e-mailed you the revised version."

_"Oh I see. I haven't checked my e-mail yet."_

"Uhm, anyway, Sasori I was wondering if we could-"

_"Sorry I gotta go. I'm actually in class right now and the professors here."_

"Oh. I unders-"

_"Bye."_

"...tand." Sakura sighed as she put away her phone.

"Something wrong?", Sasuke inquired.

"Uh no. He was in a hurry... Oh right, I have to catch up to Ino." Sakura stood up.

As soon as she looked away from Sasuke, she noticed her classmates were staring at them although they tried to look away as quickly as possible.

She looked at Sasuke again. "Later Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

She heard him grunt as she made her way to the door.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Ino was waiting for Sakura in the cafeteria.

"I got you omelet rice. Is that okay?"

Sakura sat down in front of her. "That's fine. Thanks."

"Did you give him the drink?"

"Yeah. I did. Sasuke-kun looked really tired.", said Sakura as she pulled the food tray closer to her.

Ino tore the plastic wrapping her sandwich. "You call him Sasuke-kun now huh?", she pointed out.

"He said I could. You call him Sasuke don't you?"

"But you call him Sasuke-'kun'... You only use honorifics when you're being formal. And I don't think you've ever use 'kun'. Not even on Sasori."

"I- It just felt right. Maybe I caught it from Karin. She calls her like that.", she reasoned.

"Kay~ So how is Sasori anyway? You haven't talk about him in a while."

"He actually called me just now, when I was with Sasuke-kun. We didn't get to talk much though. He had a class."

"You talked to Sasori on the phone, while you were with Sasuke?", Ino seemed shocked.

"Yep." Sakura reached for the spoon and cut through her food.

"Since when do you let people hear your conversation with Sasori?"

"Oh. I just didn't mind that he was there. The first time he caught me talking to Sasori on the phone was far more embarrassing, now that I think about it."

"Why? What happened?!"

Sakura blushed. "He might have heard me tell Sasori that I... well... missed him."

"Oh my... That must've been awkward."

Sakura nodded and took a spoon full of omelet rice.

"Speaking of Sasuke again, I still can't believe you actually got him to come to school more often. He's never late anymore. And when he's here, he's actually here the whole day. He's often falling asleep in class though.", Ino noted before taking a bite off her sandwich.

Sakura chewed faster and swallowed. And then went for her bottled juice drink to take a few gulps. "He can't help it. He's up all night working."

"He's change a lot. He used to just walk out of the room whenever a teacher says 'group work'. But he's been actively participating in classroom activities for the past three weeks now."

"Three weeks?" Sakura was surprised.

"Almost four."

"Have I been helping him for that long already?" Sakura was about to eat another spoon full from her omelet rice when Ino hummed teasingly.

"Hm~ So you lose track of time when you're with him huh?"

Sakura was flushed. "Eh? What are you saying Ino? Don't even joke about something like that."

"Hehe, Sorry. So what's it like to teach Sasuke?"

"Sasuke-kun is actually pretty smart. He learns fast. He's already caught up to the current lesson. There's nothing left to work on. If he keeps this up, I'm sure he'll do well on the Finals."

"So he's doing okay. What was Kakashi-sensei so worried about then?" Ino took another bite.

"Now that I think about it, he did try to tell me something before. Sasuke-kun also said that he was really the one doing all his work. He took all his make-up exams and submitted all his requirements. He also made sure he only used up the allotted number of absences. We all just assumed that the teachers were giving him some kind of special treatment because no one had seen his efforts."

"So you were also wrong for accusing Kakashi-sensei about giving Sasuke points he didn't deserve. And you went through all of that trouble for nothing."

"Er, I was wrong. I admit that! But I didn't go through all of that trouble for nothing. If I hadn't done what I did, everyone would still be thinking that Sasuke is the ultimate teacher's pet and I would still be thinking that Kakashi-sensei is a dishonorable teacher."

"You... have a point." Ino swallowed. "So... why did Kakashi-sensei go as far as to let you think that of him in the first place?"

Sakura shrugged. "Sasuke-kun said Kakashi-sensei didn't do it for his sake... I think he was just desperate to keep me away from Sasuke-kun. Maybe he was worried that I'd get caught up in Sasuke's troubles."

"See, just like me. I told you you'd get caught up in between his feud with Naruto. And you did."

"That's well... But you know, both Sasuke-kun and Naruto told me that they don't really hate each other. Those two actually started talking with each other again some time ago."

"Really? I hadn't notice. Maybe it only happens when they're with you."

"They're still awkward about it but it's definitely a work in progress."

Ino noticed Sakura's smile turned into a frown. "Is something else on your mind?"

"It's just, Sasuke-kun might have other problems."

"What made you say that?"

"Kakashi-sensei once mentioned how he was asked by Sasuke-kun's legal guardian to look out for him... There's that instance where Naruto also told him to go home."

"Do you think he ran away from home or something?"

"I do. Since Sasuke-kun seems to be living on his own right now or at least that's how Naruto made it sound like. There's the fact that he works all night and sometimes during the day too. He's an Uchiha. Isn't his family supposed to be rich or something? He doesn't have to work unless, he hasn't been receiving any allowance."

"Did you ask him yet?"

"I did but he obviously didn't want to talk about it."

Ino pointed at Shikamaru who was sitting in a nearby table. He was scratching his head in frustration, trying to say something to a seemingly irritated Temari. Chouji was sitting across them on the table, keeping himself busy with food.

"Want me to ask Shikamaru?", Ino offered. "He might know something since he's with Naruto often."

Sakura shook her head. "No. I'll keep asking Sasuke-kun myself and wait until he's ready to talk about it."

Ino nodded and the two girls resumed eating their lunch.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The whole afternoon, Sakura would notice Sasuke shift in his seat. He would lean towards his desk, sit up and rest his elbows instead or lean back on his chair. He was also having trouble staying attentive in class.

He shook his hands and massaged his own shoulders when the teacher that looked like Lee left for his next class.

He sighed heavily when another teacher, who wore a bandana and smelled like cigarette smoke, walked in.

Then Sasuke would rub his temples or pinch the part of his nose between his eyes every now and then.

By the time the last class had ended. Sasuke lazily put away his things and stood up. There was a shift in his weight as he obviously tried to keep himself from falling.

That's when Sakura walked up to him. "Sasuke-kun! Is everything all right?"

"Hn."

Sasuke stabled himself but when he tried to walk, he suddenly felt dizzy and heavy. He fell forward.

"Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura caught him but fell backwards together with Sasuke. As she hit the floor she caught Sasuke's head on her chest.

"Sorry." Sasuke pulled away from Sakura as quick as he could. However, he couldn't stand up so he stayed down kneeling on one knee.

Sakura sat up and saw that Sasuke was breathing heavily. She reached for his forehead and realized he had a fever.

"You're burning up!", said Sakura. She tried to help him stand up but he was too heavy for her.

She looked around and found the other students staring at them. "What are all of you just staring there for?! Help us!", she cried out.

"Teme!" Naruto broke through the crowd forming around them and help lift Sasuke up to his feet.

The next thing Sakura knew, she was helping Naruto drag Sasuke out of the classroom and into the hallway.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura was standing by the door of the infirmary. She watched as Rin tended to Sasuke.

Ino appeared beside her, three school bags at hand. Tenten was behind Ino carrying two bags.

Ino put down the three bags and had it leaned against the wall just beside the door then she patted Sakura's shoulder to comfort her.

"It's gonna be fine."

"Y-Yeah." Sakura smiled weakly.

"Want me to wait for you?"

"No. You go on ahead. I just want to make sure he's okay."

"All right. See you tomorrow." Ino excused herself.

She bowed to Karin and Naruto, who were at the opposite end of the hallway leading to the arcade.

Karin and Naruto returned the gesture then resumed what seemed to be a very serious conversation as soon as Ino and Tenten left.

Karin had her arms crossed while looking at Naruto with a half angry and half worried look. Naruto had his back turned to Sakura.

Sakura looked away from them when she heard someone coming.

Kakashi arrived just as Rin walked out of the Infirmary.

"He's got influenza.", she announced. "You can come in if you want." Rin told Sakura then went to talk to Kakashi in private.

Sakura heard the words 'fatigue', 'lack of nourishment' and 'weak immune system' as the two adults moved further away from her.

Sakura looked at Karin and Naruto to ask them if they wanted to talk to Sasuke first. She didn't get the chance to speak because Naruto suddenly walked away from Karin, going to the direction of the Arcade.

Karin looked at Sakura and gestured her hand to inform her that she would be right back. After Sakura nodded to that, Karin went after Naruto.

When Sakura turned to look at Kakashi again, he was still talking to the school nurse so she just went inside the Infirmary.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"It's not as bad as it looks.", Sasuke told her as she approached the bed he was lying on. "You actually look like you're doing worst."

"I'm sorry. I've been pushing you hard for about four weeks now, haven't I?", she stated more than asked. She sat down on the stool beside the bed.

"I had you stay after class for supplementary lessons. After that, you would still walk me to the bus stop and wait until I get on the bus before you go home. … I don't even know what your job is or where you work or how long you have to work. ... But I knew you were working every night and still. ... I call you up every single morning to wake you up so you won't be late. And then, there are days that I insist that you come even when you told me you couldn't."

"Don't flatter yourself. I do what I want."

Sakura lowered her head.

Sasuke realized that Sakura was genuinely feeling guilty. He sighed.

"This..." he pointed at himself. "It's on me. I was the one who chose this kind of life. Even if you didn't have me work hard this past few weeks, with everything that's been happening to me and with everything I've been doing, it would've eventually taken its toll on me."

"But I-"

"If it didn't happen here in school now, it would've eventually happened somewhere else. At work or even while I'm all alone in my dorm. Someone was immediately able to tend to me... because... you had me come to school.", he tried to cheer her up, unable to look at her.

"You..." Sakura finally smiled. It was weak but it was not forced. "Weren't you supposed to be some cold hearted jerk?! At least pretend to blame me even a little."

"If it makes you feel better, I certainly regret giving you my contact number."

"I was persistent about it wasn't I?", she chuckled.

"You wouldn't get off my back about it. You even followed me to the male's comfort room for it."

"That was embarrassing for me as well."

"And yet you didn't leave until I gave it to you and you called me then and there to make sure that I gave you the right number. You even threatened me that if I didn't pick up whenever you called you'd come looking for me again."

Sakura laughed at the memory.

"Still..." she wiped a tear from her eye. "...You could've told me you weren't feeling well this morning."

Kakashi walked in.

"Or any time you feel like you're too tired to stay after class. I know I can be pushy and insensitive so... It's okay to tell me when I'm being unreasonable. You can get mad when I'm at fault too you know. Didn't I tell you? You're allowed to hate me since you'll never be able to push me away."

"Ah. Selfish and annoying as ever." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "But I think I'll hold off on hating you for now since you'll be giving me all the time in the world to get there."

"You bet." Sakura grinned. "I've only just begun to turn your world upside down."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Haruno. We should let him rest. I'll be taking him home. You should probably get going as well." He moved from the door to the foot of the bed.

"Yes sir.", Sakura told Kakashi and stood up. "Bye Sasuke-kun. You get some rest."

Sakura bowed to Kakashi before walking towards the door.

"Sakura.", Sasuke called her when she was almost out of the door. "Get home safe."

At that moment, Naruto and Karin had just returned. Together with Kakashi, the three of them were surprised to hear Sasuke call Sakura by her name.

Sakura looked back at Sasuke and smiled. "Hai. Get well soon okay.", she told him.

When she stepped out of the room, she picked up two of the bags Ino had left there. She walked towards Naruto and Karin who have yet to enter the infirmary. She handed Naruto's bag to him and Sasuke's bag to Karin.

Sakura then picked up her own bag. "See you tomorrow."

Naruto smiled while Karin nodded at her in gratitude.

Sakura excused herself then.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	7. 2.2

**(2.2)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**" _How long have you been in love with Sasuke-kun?"_**

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura stopped just outside the gate. She looked back and saw Naruto running towards her.

"Naruto? Are you headed home too?"

"Yeah!", said Naruto as he caught up to her. "Uhm, Wanna... walk together until we reach... your bus stop?", he reluctantly asked.

"Sure." she smiled at him and started walking.

"R-Really?", Naruto walked alongside her. "Don't worry! I'll try not to be too loud around you." Naruto moved his hand along his mouth as if zipping it close.

...

They were already a few meters away from school when Sakura could no longer ignore how Naruto was pressing his lips hard together in an attempt to not speak.

She chuckled. "It's okay Naruto. You don't have to stay quiet."

"Great! I actually wanted to tell you something.", he immediately started.

"Oh?"

"Ah, I wanted to thank you... for what you've been doing for Sasuke."

"Huh? It's really not necessary for you to thank me. Sasuke-kun is my partner so..."

"Karin told me about the talk you had with him at the infirmary back then."

Sakura blushed. "That was..."

"Sasuke seems to open up to you... so, did he... tell you yet?"

"About what?"

"Anything."

"Like why he's living on his own? ... No. He tells me nothing really."

"Oh. Does he talk about us? Does he say anything about me?"

"He rarely starts a conversation but when your name is brought up, he doesn't seem to be upset or anything."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah."

"I... see..."

"Why? Are you still worried he's mad at you? He's not!"

"Yeah. I know."

The two of them heard a honk and they turned to look at the car slowly driving by.

Sakura and Naruto smiled at the driver.

Rin smiled back.

"Get home safe you two!" Kakashi, who was riding shotgun, got to tell them before the car accelerated.

Sasuke was watching them from the back seat.

Sakura waved at him as the car drove off.

"So Nurse Rin offered to drive Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun home?", Sakura noted.

"Yeah. It's not like Kakashi-sensei can take Sasuke home by bike.", Naruto deadpanned.

"Right."

...

"By the way Sakura-chan!"

"Hm?" Sakura gave Naruto her full attention.

"N-Never mind.", said Naruto after careful consideration.

"No. Go ahead."

"It's nothing really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep!", Naruto grinned.

"If you say so... Oh. Well my bus stop is just ahead." Sakura pointed beyond the pedestrian overpass. "I'm fine right here. You have to cross right?"

"Yeah. I take that alley." Naruto pointed across the street, towards a small pathway between a convenience store and another establishment. "It's a shortcut that leads directly to this vacant lot adjacent to the old annex building of Uzumaki General Hospital."

Sakura looked above the roofs and beyond. She noticed the tall hospital building visible from where they stood.

"You know, that's actually where we first met.", shared Naruto.

"Really?!" Sakura seemed ambiguous "I- I… don't remember."

"Didn't you use to hang out by the park near the hospital when we were still kids? I see you often with Ino."

"Oh y-yeah. I… did. My uhm… dad used to be a security officer, but he's retired now. He used to work somewhere around the area at that time. I often had to bring to him some of the things he would forget back home. Ino invited me to play with her once and we became good friends. But... I'm sorry. Did we… use to play together too? Funny, I think I would've remembered if I played with someone as loud as you."

"Not really.", Naruto grinned. "You and Ino played with your friends... or more like 'her' friends... the way I remembered it."

Sakura nodded at that.

"We just watched you other kids from afar."

"You mean you and… Sasuke-kun?", she reluctantly asked.

"Yeah. I'm not someone anyone wanted to hang out with back then. And Sasuke was just there for his appointment with our psychiatrist."

"I see. So... " Sakura wasn't sure how to proceed. "H-How did you and I… meet?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at Sakura. "You seriously don't remember?"

"No." Sakura gave him an apologetic smile. "I really don't."

"It was at the..." Naruto suddenly had to pause.

The memory of her as a kid, near the pond, flashed through Sakura's mind.

"Sorry, I don't exactly remember the details myself.", he continued. "But… Sasuke was also there."

"Does he remember?", Sakura wondered.

"Huh? Oh. I-I'm… not sure. _How about Ino?_ She was there too."

"If she did, she would've mentioned it by now."

"Right." Naruto considered. "Well, that was a very long time ago. Kids came and go to that park every day. It's not like the same group of kids would play together in that park all the time. We got together that one time only and we never really got the chance to introduce ourselves properly back then.

"Oh."

"But I immediately recognized you as soon as I saw you on the first day of freshman year. You kinda left an impression… _with your vibrant hair color and all_.

Sakura suddenly felt conscious of her hair. "Y-Yeah. I do stand out because of this."

"Oh. Well uhm~" Naruto grinned. "I won't keep you here long."

"O-Okay."

"T-Take care, Sakura-chan."

Naruto waved and stepped away from Sakura.

"Yeah. You too."

She waved back then walked on as he ascended the stairs to cross the overpass.

**.**

**.**

**.**

When she reached the shed she sat down on the bench. From where she was sitting, she could see Naruto descend the overpass.

His attention was suddenly caught by a group of girls hanging around the concession stand beside the convenience store.

The girls seemed to be minding their own business until Naruto greeted them and they were suddenly swooning and fawning over him.

Sakura recognized them.

**['Those girls are everywhere.']**

She sighed as Ami and her friends started flirting with Naruto, who looked like he just wanted to buy something from inside the store.

Her view was then obstructed by the bus that arrived.

She stood up and made her way to the bus.

Before she got on, she looked back at the now empty bench.

**['It feels sort of weird that he's not here all of a sudden.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Next day-

Kakashi was checking attendance. When he got to Sasuke's name, he looked around the room and saw a number of worried faces. His eyes landed on Sakura.

"Uchiha will not make it today.", he announced. "He caught the flu so he won't be coming to school for the rest of the week."

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Saturday; After School-

Sakura made her way to the literature club room. Just as she arrived at the door, Rin came out of the room.

"Oh." Rin closed the door behind her. "Hi Sakura. Were you a member of the Literature Club?"

"Not really. I was just looking for Kakashi-sensei."

"Sorry. I hope it's not urgent. Someone is in there right now, talking to Kakashi. I'm afraid it's a private matter so I must ask you to wait a while.", said Rin.

"I understand. I'll just come back later.", Sakura excused herself.

"Hold on!", Rin stopped her. "He won't take long. If you like, you can just wait here with me?", she said as she went to stand on the side of the hallway opposite the door.

Sakura nodded and walked towards Rin. She stood about a meter from her and leaned against the wall.

"So, you ended up being a great partner to Uchiha. What's he like?", Rin started a conversation.

"He's okay I guess. He's actually more tolerant of people as long as you know how to approach him.", she said.

"Hm~" Rin smiled at her. "You're also more tolerant of people nowadays. I noticed you've improved your relations with Uzumaki Naruto as well."

Sakura fought the urge to touch her hair accessory. "Eh?... Ehehehe~ When you can keep up with an Uchiha, you can tolerate any other type of people."

"That's sort of right, I supposed.", Rin chuckled.

"But he's not so bad really. If you look close enough you'll see his kind gestures and find a sweet side to him, hidden somewhere deep inside… all that hard and stoic surface. They're faint and so tiny that if you look away for even a second, you'll end up missing it. But if you do see it, you'll find it one heck of a sight to look at. Very beautiful and very captivating."

Sakura suddenly blushed as she realized how she just complimented Sasuke.

"Sounds like you think he's a truly wonderful person.", Rin noted. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Uhm. By the way, You... drove him home two nights ago, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Where... does he live?"

"Oh. Kakashi had me drop them off at a family restaurant that was supposed to be near his dorm. He said he'll have Sasuke eat some food first before walking him home. Seemed to me like; S- Uchiha didn't want me finding out his address."

The door of the literature club room suddenly opened and Kakashi walked out of the room with another man. "Haruno, you were there?"

Sakura straightened up. Rin smiled at Kakashi and at the man he was with. "I'll walk you out.", she offered.

"Aa.", he answered. "Until next time Kakashi."

After the two of them left, Kakashi turned to Sakura. "Did you want something from me Haruno?", he asked her and invited her inside the club room.

Sakura went inside but did not bother to sit down. "I have Sasuke-kun's homework.", she told him.

Kakashi sat down on his chair. "Okay. I'll hand them to Uchiha so he can work on it at home- Er. Where... are these homework?", he inquired as he noticed that Sakura had nothing with her.

"Oh, I didn't bring it here with me. I wasn't going to have you hand them to him."

"Then what did you come here for?"

Sakura grinned. "I came to ask for Sasuke-kun's address. I plan to go bring the homework to him myself tomorrow."

Kakashi just stared at her.

"What? I'm his partner. And I think his ready for a 'classmate visitation'. Especially since the finals are just two weeks from now. I also want to go over the lessons that he missed during his absence so he doesn't have a hard time when he comes back to school on Monday."

"If you're asking me for his address, it means he hasn't shared that information with you yet. So he's not aware of your plan to visit him."

"I'm going to surprise him."

"He's not going to be happy about that."

"He doesn't have to be happy about it. But that's okay. He's allowed to be upset with me. And I promised him, I won't break no matter how angry he gets. So~"

Kakashi needed a moment to take in what Sakura had just said. "N-No.", he eventually decided.

Sakura pouted. "But, Kakashi-sensei?! ... Why can't you just admit it?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"I'm helping him! It's working! ... Fine! If it makes you feel better, I'll be the one to apologize first. I'm sorry for disrespecting you and for thinking you were a dishonorable teacher. I doubted Sasuke-kun's abilities and I doubted you. In my defense, you didn't exactly try hard enough to clear up the misunderstanding."

"Uh-huh."

"And~"

Kakashi sighed.

"Very well, Haruno." he humored her. "I also apologized... for saying that you were not qualified to help Uchiha. I was wrong. You did help him. You did convince him to come to school more often. He's definitely doing a better job with his studies... And it's all... thanks to you."

"Exactly." Sakura smiled proudly.

"But..."

"Have you... heard of the story... of how I convinced Sasuke-kun to give me his contact number?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura had just gotten off a bus. She looked around her and double checks a hand drawn map.

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned her head and saw Karin. She had just arrived as well. She moved away from the taxi and crossed the overpass to get to where Sakura was.

"Thanks for inviting me." said Karin.

"No problem. So, who's gonna call him; me or you?"

"You should do it. It was your idea."

"Okay." Sakura dialed Sasuke's number and held it to her ear. "It's ringing.", she told Karin who leaned in to listen closely.

"Hello.", she greeted as soon as Sasuke picked up.

_"Sakura? Is there something wrong?"_

Karin got so excited she covered her mouth with her left hand and squeezed Sakura's arm with the other.

Sakura grinned at her.

"No. Why would you think something's wrong?", she asked him.

_"Because you're calling me on a Sunday. Isn't Sunday, Sasori day?"_

"He already called me last night. He said he'd be out with his friends today."

_"So, why are you calling me this early in the morning?"_

"I, It's almost noon-" Sakura didn't get to finish her sentence as Karin started pulling her arm. "We were just worried about you. I haven't heard from you since Thursday."

_"I'm coming back to school tomorrow."_

"You know, they announced the schedule for the finals?"

_"Hn."_

"Two weeks from now."

_"Hn."_

"Are you prepared for it?"

_"I don't think I'll fail."_

"You sound confident. But, how do you feel about me coming over and going over the lessons with you?"

_"..."_

"Sasuke-kun?"

_"Is that a trick question?"_

"No."

_"No."_

"Huh?"

_"Of course you can't come over-_

"But what about the homework you've missed."

_"Were there any? Kakashi didn't inform me."_

"There's quite a few. I could bring them to you?"

_"Nice try, but still NO. I'll call Kakashi after this and... That was a car. Are you outside?"_

"Is Sasuke-kun always this talkative with you?", Karin whispered.

_"Who's that? It sounds like... Is Karin there with you?"_

"Oops.", said Karin.

Sakura started chuckling "Sasuke-kun, the thing is... We're on our way to visit you."

_"You don't know where I live."_

"Actually, I do."

_"Kakashi gave you my address?! What did you do this time?"_

"I simply asked him for it. In a very polite manner."

_"Go home."_

"But, we're already closed by."

_"What?"_

They heard some noises coming from Sasuke's end of the line. They could tell he suddenly moved from whatever position he was in.

_"..."_

"Sasuke-kun?"

_"Where exactly are the two of you right now?"_

Sakura and Karin looked around for any significant landmark. Karin pointed at a playground. Sakura nodded. "We can see a playground nearby.", said Sakura

"Anyway, we're coming for you now. We just thought we should give you a heads up so you can put away anything you don't want us to see.", Karin implied.

_"Wait! Hold on! Wait for me at the playground! I'm coming to pick you up! Don't you dare come here before I get there!"_

-Sasuke eagerly instructed.

They heard the sound of a door opening.

_"I almost forgot. What are the two of you wearing?"_

"..."

_"Tell me in full detail- No wait, you can skip the... undergarments."_

"...Sasuke-kun you-" Karin was about to say something but-

_"Whatever you're thinking, that's not it! Will you just tell me already?"_

"Karin's wearing a red violet t-shirt under a... _cream_?... jumper skirt. And I'm wearing a light green sundress.", Sakura described.

_"The colors were not necessary."_

"You're the one who said 'in full detail'!", Sakura quoted but he probably didn't hear her as he was talking to someone else on his end.

_"-Thanks."_

They heard Sasuke closed the door behind him.

_"Hello. Sakura. I'm on my way."_

~Beep~

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Karin did as Sasuke said. They waited for him at the playground. The two girls sat on each corner seat of a three seat swing set with their bags placed on the middle one.

"By the way Karin, how long have you been in love with Sasuke-kun?"

"Huh? Why are you suddenly asking about that?"

"Just starting a conversation."

"Since Junior High, I guess."

"Really? I can't imagine what Sasuke-kun was like back then."

"Not much of a difference now."

"So, you've love him for the snob jerk that he is ever since? No offense."

"None taken."

"I just thought he would've been... I don't know~"

"Friendlier? Like... Charming?"

"Somewhere along those... since I heard he used to be a heartthrob and all."

Karin snorted. "Nah! Not him. Well, maybe when his parents were still alive. … When I first met him he was already... distant. He didn't talk to anyone if he didn't need to. And when he did, he made it quick and he never bothered to look anyone in the eye. He sort of has this cold and harsh demeanor that made others feel like they don't exist, at least not in his world.

But maybe that was his charm. Sasuke-kun is like an unreachable entity. I supposed it made people think that; if you were acknowledged by him, you must be someone very special.

Of course he only warmed up to Naruto. And even then, they were at each other's throat every single day. But he was actually the first to admit and proclaim that he saw Naruto as his best friend.

There's a warm, gentle person inside of there somewhere." Karin started to sway back and forth weakly. "Sasuke-kun is really kind. People just didn't see it. But I did."

Sakura smiled.

**['It's not just me.']**

"When we were younger, Naruto was always trying to prove himself to someone, but he would often get in trouble or end up losing. Sasuke-kun always came to his rescue only for Naruto to get mad at him for stealing the spot light. Sasuke-kun stayed beside him regardless. He tried so hard to stay beside him until he just couldn't anymore.", Karin continued.

"I guess it's true, what people say. That you can only realize how important something is after it's already gone."

Sakura watched Karin shot herself off the swing. Her eyes stayed on Karin's black high cut converse as she landed.

"You know Sakura, Sasuke-kun had a really beautiful smile." Karin turned to look at Sakura. "I really, really want to see Sasuke-kun smile again."

Sakura smiled at her. "Sasuke-kun is... so lucky to have you."

"It's not just me now.", Karin told her. "He has you now too. Also because of you, he and Naruto started talking to each other again."

"No. I just happened to be there. I didn't really do anything to-"

Karin shook her head. "You're wrong Sakura." She had a serious expression on her face. "It's because you approached Sasuke-kun. You called him and he looked your way."

"Karin..."

"It gave Naruto the courage to speak to Sasuke-kun again. Naruto thought Sasuke didn't see and hear him anymore. But when he saw the two of you, he knew Sasuke-kun was ready to open up to people again."

**/"But he sees you Sakura-chan."/**

Sakura remembered Naruto's words.

"That's... Still, everything I did was for my own selfish reason. And Sasuke-kun knows that."

"But you still did something. And that matters to me." Karin approached Sakura and held her hand. "I thank you for that."

"I..."

...

"You didn't tell me Karin's dress was short!"

The two girls turned and saw Sasuke. He had just arrived at the playground. He was wearing a black hoodie zipper jacket over a violet long-sleeved shirt with a wide boat collar, jeans and black sandals. He was also holding a long white cardigan.

"I only brought one sweater.", he said as he walked towards them.

"Eh? Sasuke-kun you were worried about something like that?", Karin giggled.

"Most of my dorm mates are males. They all have one or two quirks so they don't get to talk to girls that often.", he explained.

"They can't be that bad.", Karin considered.

"I'm not taking any chances. If you insist on coming with me back there, I'll have you wear this." Sasuke handed her the white cardigan.

"Aw~ Sasuke-kun's so sweet!" Karin accepted the cardigan and took her time fawning over it.

Sasuke turned to Sakura just as she was standing up from the swing.

Sakura noticed that Sasuke was staring at her. More specifically her exposed shoulders and visible collar bone. She suddenly felt very conscious about her upper body features.

"I had originally intended for you to wear that one.", he shared and then he took off his hoddie.

Sakura then learned that he had a mitsudomoe inspired tattoo a little to the left of his nape.

"You can use this one instead." Sasuke held out the hoodie to her.

"Eh? Why can't I use that one instead?!" Karin questioned him. "I want to wear something you just took off!" she said sounding very disappointed.

"... Because that one is longer.", he reasoned, ignoring the hidden innuendo of her previous statement. "One of my dorm mates has a huge thigh fetish."

"Kyaa~ Sasuke-kun's being over protective of me!", she giggled again.

When Karin did not demand for Sasuke's hoodie anymore, Sakura finally took it off Sasuke's hands. She felt its warm fabric. She could also smell Sasuke's cologne from it.

**['Sasuke-kun's scent.']**

She knows it too well by now. She could perfectly remember the exact moments she had smelled it before.

…

The first time was when she had jumped in to pull him away from Naruto...

The second was when a furious Sasuke held her by her shoulder when they were in the infirmary...

The third was at the library. They had both reached out for the same book...

Then, that one time Sasuke suddenly came up from behind her. That moment she felt that time had stopped...

Finally, when Sasuke collapsed on top of her. She had him to her chest and help Naruto drag him across the hallway...

…

"I'm ready.", announced Karin. She was now wearing the white cardigan.

"Ah. Hold on.", Sakura told them as she put on Sasuke's hoodie. It was too big for her of course. Her hands couldn't make it out of the sleeves.

The two girls looked at each other.

"Ehehe~ Don't we look sort of funny wearing oversized sweaters during the summer?', Sakura remarked.

"Nah! Boyfriend blazers are trendy nowadays so~', Karin blushed. "Will people who see me think I'm wearing my boyfriend's cardigan? KYAA~" she started fawning over the sweater again.

Sasuke carried their bags for them. "Let's go.", he said as he led them towards his dorm.

Karin ran after him and wrapped her hands around his free arm.

She observed them as she slowly walked behind them.

**['He's obviously very uncomfortable.]**

Sakura noticed how Sasuke is complaining about Karin's sudden proximity.

**['He seems rude but... when you look closely, despite his annoyance... he doesn't push her or yell at her.']**

Sakura smiled weakly.

**/"There's a warm, gentle person inside of there somewhere... Sasuke-kun is really kind. People just didn't see it. But I did."/**

**/"If you look close enough you'll see his kind gestures and find a sweet side to him, hidden somewhere deep inside all that hard and stoic surface. They're faint and so tiny that if you look away for even a second, you'll end up missing it. But if you do see it, you'll find it one heck of a sight to look at. Very beautiful and very captivating."/**

**['Compared to me...']**

Sakura lowered her gaze and stared her own shadow. She remembered how she snapped at Lee...

She recalled how she talked back to Kakashi...

And she thought of how she acted when she noticed Tenten and Temari were getting really close to Ino...

Then she casted her gaze at Sasuke's back. She remembered how Sasuke held the handkerchief to her nose...

She remembered how he came into the infirmary panting, knowing he had hurt her and then he apologized, just like that...

And she remembered how he helped her with the incident with Ami and how he made an effort to hand her the book and return her hairclip...

**['...He's far, far kinder.']**

"Sakura!", Karin called. "Hurry up."

Sakura snapped back to reality. She just noticed that Karin and Sasuke had stopped to wait for her.

"Coming!", she yelled as she quickened her pace to catch up to them.

**.**

**.**

**.**

'Otogakure'

-The sign said.

Sakura, Sasuke and Karin were in front of a four-story building. The first floor seemed like it was used as a music learning facility.

"The back of this shop is a residential area with a basement. That's where my landlord lives.", said Sasuke. He then pointed upwards. "The second floor onwards is the dormitory. But before we go upstairs, I have to let my landlord know that you're here."

The two girls nodded.

"He's out here in the back." Sasuke led them around the building.

**.**

**.**

**.**

As they were approaching the back yard, they heard a buzzing noise.

Sakura found herself walking into the patio. There she saw two people sitting close to each other. One of them was a big guy. His facial features seemed small with how fat his cheeks were.

**['He's even bigger than Chouji.']**

The other person was working on the sleeve tattoo of the enormous man.

"Good day to you.", said the big guy.

Sakura and Karin bowed their heads to him. "Pardon our intrusion.", they said in unison.

"He's not my landlord.", Sasuke told them.

"Then..." Sakura and Karin moved their gaze towards-

"All done Jirobo-kun.", said the person in the black komon. He stepped off the pedal and placed the tattoo gun kit on the wheeled table.

He stood up and turned around, showing his face to the two guests for the first time. "You can call me Orochimaru.", he introduced himself as he removed his gloves.

**['Is that a man or a woman?']**

His skin was pale and he wore make-up. His long black hair was tied in a low side swept ponytail. Whether he was beautiful or not was debatable but for some reason he was pulling off that look.

"I am Sasuke-kun's landlord. Welcome to my humble abode..."

Sakura bowed again. "Uhm, Sakura. My name is Sakura."

"Karin." the other girl followed suit.

"No need to be so formal.", Orochimaru told them. "This is Jirobo-kun.", he introduced the other man.

"I am also but a tenant here." Jirobo excused himself then. "Thank you Orochimaru-san. Sasuke." He nodded at Sasuke before disappearing into the house.

"When Sasuke told me he was going out for a while and return with some guest, I hadn't expected it to be two lovely ladies." Orochimaru smiled at Sasuke.

Sasuke looked away - a light blush hinting on his embarrassment.

"So, Sakura-chan and Karin-chan, which one of you is Sasuke-kun's girlfriend?"

Both girls were caught off guard by his question. Karin's hands touched her own cheeks. She was blushing heavily and smiling when she said, "No! I mean, we're not there yet."

Sakura shook her head and waved her hand. "It's not like that. I- We're here to give Sasuke-kun his homework.", she explained.

"Ah, that's right. Sasuke-kun was sick until only yesterday."

Sakura tilted her head a little and scratched her left cheek. She smiled weakly. "That's probably my fault. I pushed him hard at school even though I was aware he lacked sleep.", she admitted.

Orochimaru turned to Sasuke. "So you really have been attending school regularly?"

They shared a meaningful look with each other before Sasuke looked away again. "Hn."

"I believe I am also at fault.", Orochimaru told Sakura. "For I am the one who employs Sasuke-kun during the night."

"Eh?!" Sakura and Karin looked at each other.

"See, aside from this dormitory and my little studio up front, I also own another establishment of the same name not far from here; an open mic bar. Sasuke-kun works there during the evening although sometimes we open in the morning for some exclusive customers.

"Open _mic bar_?", said Sakura.

"What's his job description?", Karin asked eagerly.

"Waiting Tables.", answered Orochimaru.

Karin found herself lost within her own thoughts. "Sasuke-kun as a waiter~", she said dreamily.

"Uhm..." Sakura raised a hand to Orochimaru. "Is it mandatory for your tenants to work for you?", she inquired, genuinely curious.

"No. I offer the job to those who need it and only if they want to work for me. Most of them do it to earn extra money. Some of them do it to offset their rent.", he explained. "Sasuke-kun… works… for both reasons."

"Then Orochimaru-san, may I suggest something?"

Sasuke and Karin gave her quizzical looks.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	8. 2.3

**(2.3)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _So Sasuke-kun, you're not perfect after all."_**

They had moved to the garden gazebo.

A white haired male, wearing glasses, brought them tea. He sort of looked like a butler with his formal white button-down shirt and black slacks.

"Thank you Kabuto-kun.", said Orochimaru.

After he had served everyone their tea, the man called Kabuto returned to the house.

Orochimaru took a sip of his tea then turned to Sakura. "So what did you want to suggest?"

"I was wondering if you could lessen Sasuke-kun's work hours?", asked Sakura.

"Sakura-" Sasuke tried to tell her something but she spoke again.

"Sasuke-kun can't keep going on like this. He can't work long hours through the night and attend school during the day. To be honest, I want him to just quit his job and focus on his studies for his own sake..." Sakura looked at Sasuke. "...as well as mine.

But for some reason, Sasuke needs to work for his money. And if he quits working, he's going to be in trouble isn't he?"

Orochimaru nodded.

"So, I would like to propose to have his work hours lessened instead. From now on, have Sasuke-kun work only for his allowance please."

"I understand. But what of his rent?" wondered Orochimaru.

"About that, I wish to ask you to hold off on collecting Sasuke's rent, at least until the end of August."

Sasuke and Karin weren't sure where she was going with this.

Orochimaru however maintained his smile. He glanced at Sasuke and took a moment to drink his tea before he spoke again. "I presume you have a way to settle this _would-be-debt_ by then."

"Yes.", she stated. She stood up and placed her right hand on her chest. "I will work for you during the summer vacation to help pay for it."

Karin looked at Sakura. She smiled and nodded to herself. "Then, me too! I'll work for you during the summer vacation as well. … For Sasuke-kun's sake."

Sasuke could only stare at the two of them in surprised.

"Summer huh?", Orochimaru pondered as he looked at Sasuke again. After careful consideration he gave Sakura his answer.

"Very well. _IF_... Sasuke-kun is okay with having the two of you work to pay off his supposed debt for him, that is."

The two girls looked at Sasuke. He didn't look pleased with the idea.

"I can't have the two of you do that for me.", he said.

"Sasuke-kun!", Sakura made him look at her. "You know very well that I will do what I want to do. Even if you don't like it, I will work for Orochimaru-san during the summer vacation. Whether or not I will have worked there for nothing is up to you!"

"Oi!..." Sasuke tried to make a protest.

"As your future wife, I am entitled to support you anyway I can. Just pay me back with tender love and care when we get married, okay?", Karin smiled at him.

Sasuke was overwhelmed by the two and sighed in defeat. "Fine. I guess I'll help out during the summer vacation as well. I can't have you two take on my 'would-be-debt _'_ on your own, although it's thanks to your suggestion that I will be having it in the first place."

It was only then that the smile on Orochimaru's face was replaced by a surprised then concerned look for Sasuke.

Sasuke gave Orochimaru a knowing look. Whatever Orochimaru was concerned about, it was not the best time to bring it up.

"Weren't you going to be there anyway?", wondered Sakura.

"So you agreed huh? Does that mean you're really going to marry me someday Sasuke-kun?", Karin teased him.

"I never said anything like that!", Sasuke argued.

Kabuto came out again. "The food is ready Orochimaru-san. I've made two more servings just as you have instructed.", he announced.

"All right. Sakura-chan, Karin-chan, join us for lunch.", Orochimaru invited them before heading inside the house after Kabuto.

The two girls looked at Sasuke and he nodded at them. He motioned for them to follow him inside the house.

Sakura and Karin looked at each other before joining Sasuke.

**.**

**.**

**.**

When they reached the dining area, the table for ten had already been occupied by nine people.

Orochimaru sat at the far end.

"Everyone, Sasuke-kun's guest will be dining with us today.", he announced. "These are Sakura-chan and Karin-chan."

The two girls smiled at everyone.

"I would like to introduce the rest of my tenants and your future co-workers this coming summer."

Orochimaru motioned for the four people to his right. He started with the furthest from him. It was a boy wearing a baggy gray jumpsuit and a yellow long-sleeved shirt underneath. "This is Zaku-kun."

"First time bringing someone over and it's immediately two girls. You're the man Sasuke!", the boy grinned at Sasuke teasingly

"Watch it.", Sasuke warned him but the boy kept his smile as he started on his food.

"Next to him are my only two female tenants, Kin Tsuchi-chan and Tayuya-chan.", said Orochimaru.

The girl with long black hair, who was wearing a green sleeveless t-shirt and cargo pants with incognito prints, smiled at Sakura. "You have really beautiful hair." she told her.

She then turned to the girl sitting beside her. "So Sasuke is into red heads."

"Bullshit! If that was the case how come he's never looked at my way once?!", asked the other girl. She was wearing a pink off-shoulder shirt over a black tank top.

"Maybe he knows... like I know so well that your hair is only dyed, Tayuya."

"Fuck off Kin Tsuchi!", the other girl snapped as she looked away, blushing.

"Watch your mouth Tayuya!", the big guy from earlier who was sitting next to Tayuya scolded her.

"You already met Jirobo-kun.", Orochimaru mentioned him and then pointed at the other people sitting to his right. This time he started with the one sitting closest to him.

"My name is Kidomaru." The tanned skin man who had the same hairstyle as Shikamaru introduced himself. "Damn it Sasuke. You always get the pretty ones. Introduce us to some cute girls too."

"Oi, bastard! There are two cute girls living in this dorm with you.", Tayuya pointed out.

"Language.", Jirobo scolded her.

"Shut-up you damn pig. Mind your own business."

"Now, now.", Orochimaru silenced them. "Next to Kidomaru are the twins; Sakon and Ukon."

"Yo!", the one closest to Kidomaru greeted. The twins had the same hairstyle. Their hair was the same length and dyed with the same shade of purple. They even wore the same color of lipstick.

"Visual Key. It's our thing.", the other explained when he noticed that both Sakura and Karin was staring at them.

"Oh.", said Karin

"Of course." Sakura nodded.

"Finally that's Kimimaru-kun.", Orochimaru introduced the next person. "And the one on the bar is Jugo-kun." he pointed at the tall and buff guy with orange hair who was sitting - behind Kimimaru - alone on one of the bar stools.

Kimimaru only nodded at them while Jugo gave them a curt smile before returning to his food.

"So, is that like a band name or something?", inquired Sakura, noticing how the tenants starting from Jirobo had the word 'SOUND' on their shirts.

"Something like that.", answered Kidomaru. "Just one of our stage outfits."

"Stage. You mean for the open mic bar. You guys get to perform?"

"On dull nights, when no one hardly comes on stage.", Sakon told her.

"Or when there's a 'no show'. We fill in the slots.", added Ukon.

"So why isn't Sasuke wearing his?", Zaku brought up, just for the hell of it.

Sasuke stiffened then glared at Zaku.

Sakura and Karin turned to look at Sasuke expectantly.

"Sasuke-kun just recovered from his fever so he's still not coming to work today.", Orochimaru reasoned.

"But, you do perform as well?", Sakura pressed.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Aren't you hungry? Come on.", he said, implying that she won't be getting an answer very soon.

She led Sakura and Karin to the bar. Sasuke sat at the furthest stool from Jugo. Karin sat next to Sasuke and Sakura took the stool next to Karin, leaving one vacant stool between her and Jugo.

Kabuto appeared in front of them and served them their food.

"Thank you... Kabuto-san, right?", said Sakura.

"Yes. That's correct." he smiled at her. "There's actually two other person who's not here right now. Dosu-kun, who is watching the store right now and-"

"Aaahh!"

Everyone in the room turned to a boy with bleached hair. He was wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt and dark grey sweat pants. He was upset and pointing his finger at Karin.

Karin looked confused while Sasuke sighed and rubbed his temple.

"Why are you wearing _THAT_?! I lend that to Sasuke!", he questioned her then turned to Sasuke. "How could you let someone else wear _my cardigan_? That one was my favorite but I went out of my way and lend it to you because I thought _YOU_ were gonna be the one to wear it!"

Karin quickly stood up and removed the cardigan - Kidomaru whistled in the back - She threw it to the furious boy and turned to Sasuke. "You (sexy) bastard! How could you do that to me? I hugged and sniffed that cardigan all over! Why didn't you tell me it wasn't yours?!"

"You hugged and sniffed my cardigan?!"

"That's enough Suigetsu!", Kabuto tried to calm him down.

"You damn perverted bi- Who the hell are you anyway?! What's your relationship to Sasuke?!", he yelled at Karin as he moved towards Sasuke.

"Why are you the one who's acting like a jealous lover?!", Karin yelled back at him. "I'm the one who should be asking who _you_ are to Sasuke-kun?!"

Both of them glared at each other and then at Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun?!" / "Sasuke?!"

Sasuke was still trying to think of a proper answer so Sakura tried to appease Karin.

"Calm down Karin. Remember where we are. You can't possibly be this upset over a sweater?"

" _My Sweater_!", Suigetsu stressed. "That this pervert wore. My favorite one too. How am I supposed to even look at it again without feeling _violated_."

"Well I wouldn't have worn it if I had known it belonged to this asshole!"

The other people on the table just watched the whole commotion as they continued eating. If anything, they found it entertaining.

"So the girl with glasses talks dirty. I like her already.", Tayuya commented.

Karin looked at Sasuke again. "Why Sasuke-kun?! I was so happy too, when I thought you were lending me your cardigan."

"For crying out loud! You know what?" Sakura stood up. "Here just take this one." she took off the hoodie.

"And you let it go already!" she told Suigetsu as she held out the hoodie towards Karin.

The hoodie ended up on the floor as the boy with silver hair and green eyes pulled Sakura's hand towards him. "Sakura was it now?", he asked.

"Kimimaru!" Jugo stood up.

"Relax Jugo. I just couldn't help but noticed her beautiful figure.", said Kimimaru.

"Eh?" Sakura was flustered and uncomfortable at the same time

"You're very slim. I like your bony features. Beautifully… accented." Kimimaru now had his other hand feeling up Sakura's forearm up to her elbow. "Would you be interested in becoming a model for one of my sculptures?"

He was about to reach for her collarbone when Sakura felt another boy's hands on her shoulder and then she smelled the familiar sent of Sasuke's cologne again.

"That's enough Kimimaru. You're making her uncomfortable.", Sasuke told him.

He pulled Sakura to the side and out of Kimimaru's hold then he took a step forward so she was behind him.

Kimimaru quickly bowed to Sasuke. "My apologies! I did not mean any ill intent towards your girl. I assure you, I am no treat as I am not interested in her in such a way."

"She's not my girlfriend.", Sasuke informed him.

"Oh. Still, accept my apologies." he looked at Sakura.

"Uhm. It's okay!", Sakura told him. "Sasuke-kun already warned us something like this might happen. So, I'm not really upset or anything... And… s-sorry, but I have to decline about being your model."

"I understand." Kimimaru bowed his head again before returning to his seat.

Jugo also bowed to Sasuke and Sakura. "Sorry about that Sasuke. Sakura. He really didn't mean any harm.", he said as Sasuke picked up his hoodie.

Sakura smiled at him. "No. I completely get it." she assured Jugo as they both sat back down.

Sasuke handed his hoodie to Karin before he also went back to sit on his stool.

Karin, who now held Sasuke's hoodie close to her chest, joined them back at the bar "Sorry Sakura.", she mumbled. "It's all because I was being immature."

"Here." Suigetsu suddenly placed his cardigan over Sakura's shoulder before taking his seat in between her and Jugo. "Sorry. I'm the one who started it I supposed."

"It's fine. Thank you." Sakura smiled at him.

The boy shrugged. "If you wear it, it'll get purified."

A vein popped in Karin's temple but she did her best to stay calm and keep her mouth shut tight.

"Here you go.", said Kabuto as he served Suigetsu his food.

Then he walked towards the dining table and pulled the chair opposite Orochimaru.

As he was sitting down, he found Orochimaru looking very amused while watching the people sitting at the bar.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sasuke-kun's room~"

Karin was having the time of her life. She was giggling and fawning over everything that could be Sasuke's possession. "Which one is your bed?", she asked Sasuke.

Sasuke who was standing by the door hesitated before pointing to the bunk bed on the right of the room. Sakura was standing right behind him.

Karin smiled the widest she could manage before she quickly dropped herself on Sasuke's bed. Then she was rolling around it filling every inch of the bed with her body. She stopped as she grabbed one of his pillows and hugged it tight. Then she sat up and giggled. She was as happy as a child who just won a prize.

Sasuke and Sakura finally entered as they now have space in the room since Karin was just contented to stay on the bed. Sasuke set up the low table between the two beds. Sasuke took his school bag off his study table and laid it on the floor next to where he would sit.

"So it's a shared bedroom.", noted Sakura as she sat by the low table. "Which one of them was your roommate?"

As if on cue Suigetsu appeared by the door. "Tsk." he clucked.

"Uhm. Sorry for intruding on your room.", said Sakura.

Karin was suddenly in a bad mood. "Sasuke-kun dear, you better not have had me rolled around his bed this time?!"

"I didn't. Right, Suigetsu?"

"Ah!", the other boy answered irritably. "Just make sure she stays away from my stuff Sasuke!"

"As if, I want to touch your stuff!", Karin sneered at him.

"Karin-chan~", called Tayuya who now wore a black beanie to match her hot pants. She appeared behind Suigetsu along with Kin Tsuchi who was holding a make-up kit and a hairbrush.

Karin looked at them questioningly but couldn't do anything when they pushed past Suigetsu and pulled her off the bed and towards their room across the hallway. "We're borrowing Karin-chan for a while Sasuke!", yelled Kin Tsuchi.

They led Karin to sit in front of their vanity dresser. Tayuya pulled another chair beside Karin. She had Karin faced her so she could apply some make-up. Kin Tsuchi stood behind Karin and started braiding some strands of hair by Karin's left ear.

"Hah! This I gotta see." Suigetsu ended up following them to their room. "You're gonna need a lot more than that to make this one look even close to pretty!"

"Shut up, Suigetsu! You don't know anything!" Tayuya shot him a glare.

"By the time we're done with her, you're gonna regret making such a bad first impression on her. You'd wish you still have a chance with her!", Kin Tsuchi implied.

Suigetsu cackled. "With that kind of face she's gonna need to be caked-up. As if I'd find caked-up girls beautifull!"

Karin started telling him off. "Leave me alone bastard. I don't care if you think I'm ugly! Go away already!"

When Sasuke was sure Karin wasn't really troubled by what the two girls were doing to her, he finally went to sit in front of Sakura.

"Is she gonna be okay?", asked Sakura.

Sasuke nodded.

Sakura pulled out some papers from her shopper. She passed them over to Sasuke. "These are your homework. You can use your book if you want. But would you like to go over the lessons we've tackled during your absence first?"

"I think I'll try and answer what I can for now."

"Okay. Can I also work on my own thing while you're doing that?"

"Is it homework for Sasori again?"

"Yes. But I actually want to try your suggestion. I might ask him to call me tonight so I want to start reading this module so I can be prepared to give him a lecture."

"Go ahead.", said Sasuke as he took out his book and a mechanical pencil.

"Thanks." Sakura took out a folder from her bag.

Sasuke did a double take when he glanced at the thick module. He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you tell him that we have our finals soon? Don't you have your own studying to do?"

"I'm okay. I still have a lot of time and even if I don't, I can just go over my notes, five minutes before the test. Besides, I go over each lesson with you so that's just as good as studying."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. "Is that how you've been reviewing all this time?"

"Yup!" Sakura gave him a peace sign. "Aren't I a genius? That's all the studying I need to do."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. "You do realize that you could've done better if- Never mind... Suit yourself."

Sakura opened the book. As she was reading she can't help but glance at Sasuke.

...

"Uhm I'm sorry by the way... for asking for your address without your permission... and for coming here unannounced. Also... thanks for not sending us away."

"I had a feeling that if I sent you away you would've come here anyway."

"You know me so well by now huh?"

Sasuke looked her in the eyes. "Yes, I supposed. I even know most your mannerisms."

Sakura smiled and put down her book. "Now I feel like I want to test that."

Sasuke crossed his arms leaving his activity alone for now. "You reach for your hair clips whenever you feel like you're being judged or misunderstood."

Sakura's eyes rolled up as if attempting to look at her hairclips.

"You hold on to your braids whenever you're extremely anxious.", Sasuke added.

Sakura pressed her lips together and flipped her braids to the back of her shoulders.

And when you're actually feeling really happy, you do the mouth guard move."

"Mouth guard?" she crinkled her nose.

"You know when you have your hands cover your mouth."

"Oh."

"It's supposed to be a gesture that can suggest or mean a lot of things but… for you however, you tend to do that because you think you'll end up looking goofy with a huge smile on your face."

Just as Sasuke said this Sakura's hands were almost over her mouth. She immediately removed her hand and tried to control her lips from forming a smile.

"Okay. So you're right about those. I can't believe you actually paid attention to that."

Sasuke finally started on his work. When Sasuke had to shift around looking for an eraser Sakura found herself staring at his tattoo.

"I on the other hand, just learned that you had a tattoo.", she told him. "Did Orochimaru-san do that for you?"

"Aa."

"Is there any particular reason why you got that?"

Sasuke glanced at her before looking back at his homework. "I have two puncture wound scars right there. It's small but it's very visible. Orochimaru suggested the tattoo as a cover up."

"Hm~ So Sasuke-kun, you're not perfect after all."

"Of course I'm not perfect. Why would you assume that I was?"

"It's just that, I didn't expect you to have any physical flaws. I mean, you're very handsome and all-" Sakura blushed when the realization of calling Sasuke handsome had hit her.

"..."

"Anyway!" she tried to move on with the conversation. "I've been wrong about you so far so..."

"So far?"

"Oh, I had this assumption that students avoided you because you actually did something seriously wrong. As it turns out you were just being estranged, although you're pretty much aloof all on your own."

"Aa."

"But you're actually not a bad guy aren't you Sasuke-kun? ... You even told me that if you hadn't fainted at school you could've fainted at work or at home... alone. You lied so I wouldn't feel bad about myself."

"That's..."

"Ah no! I'm not upset or anything. Not at all... That's one other thing I was wrong about you. I thought you were really alone. But you're actually doing so well here... I'm glad that there's a place where you don't exist as just a shadow of Naruto. Where people won't treat you based on whether or not Naruto is your friend."

"..."

"But Sasuke-kun, you know that Naruto really wants to go back to the way the two of you were right?"

"Aa."

"You know, he's worried about you? Kakashi-sensei too. You're gonna have to go home eventually. I can only asked Orochimaru-san to hold off on your rent until the end of August."

"..."

"You can't run away forever. So, please think about it carefully."

"Sakura... Whatever happens... That will be the last-"

"Sasuke-kun! Sakura!", Karin called them as she quickly came back to his room.

Sakura looked behind her and saw how pretty Karin was at that moment.

The make-up wasn't overdone at all. She was not wearing her eyeglasses and her hair was braided from her left side and ended in a side swept ponytail to the right.

Behind her, Tayuya and Kin Tsuchi were teasing Suigetsu who was extremely irritated but definitely blushing. He ended up walking away from the two who then returned to their room looking very victorious.

"Wow Karin! You're so pretty!", Sakura praised her.

Karin smiled at her then turned to Sasuke. "Ne, Sasuke-kun. What do you think?", she asked him.

"Hn."

"Eh. That's it?! Say something else will you!" Karin sounded disappointed.

She made a move to sit on the floor beside him and started pulling on his arm.

Sasuke ended up dropping his eraser. "Oi. I'm trying to write here."

The eraser fell on the floor and rolled under his bed.

"I got it.", said Sakura since she was closer to it.

She bent over a little and reached for it. That's when she saw something under his bed.

"Eh, Sasuke-kun...", she said catching Sasuke's and Karin's attention. When she sat back up she held another object aside from his eraser. "I didn't take you for the type to keep a scrapbook."

Sakura grinned as she placed the eraser on the table. Then she made a move to open the scrapbook.

"Sakura that's..." Sasuke tried to stop her.

She opened a random page and saw that it was filled with printed pictures of places and landmarks. There were some Polaroid pictures of people and sticky notes. Most of them had the names of people written on it. Some had directions to probably the places featured in it. It looked like someone's travel log or better yet a travel guide.

Sakura found herself checking the first page and he saw a dedication meant for Sasuke.

"To my dear Otouto-" she read and stopped there. She looked up from the scrapbook and saw that Sasuke looked upset.

Karin was sympathetic.

Sakura suddenly felt guilty. She closed the scrapbook and handed it to Sasuke. "I'm sorry I looked. I didn't know it was..."

Sasuke took it and shook his head "I, It's not really meant for my eyes only but I just... I just want to keep it for myself. To keep him to myself... at least for a bit... longer."

"No. I understand! I won't ask about it. You don't need to tell us if you don't want to.", Sakura asserted.

"Aa."

"Sasuke-kun." Karin wanted to comfort him but then her phone rang at that moment. She checked who the caller was. "It's my father. I have to take this." Karin excused herself and left the room.

"Uhm. Sorry. I'm really sorry!" Sakura bowed as she apologized to Sasuke again.

"Stop that already. I'm not mad really."

"But..."

"I can see it from this angle you know."

"Eh?" Sakura raised her head and found Sasuke looking away with a light blush on his cheeks. That's when she remembered that her sundress had a wrap neckline and Sasuke could only mean her almost non-existent cleavage.

She immediately straightened her back and had her hands crossed over her chest. "So-Sorry about that! Y-You looked away right? You didn't really see anything?!" she blurted out while blushing heavily.

"What's there to see? You're obviously flat- I mean. Yes. I didn't see anything!" Sasuke talked in his usual stoic manner but Sakura could tell he was being sarcastic.

"Of all the times you chose to be funny Uchiha-"

"Guys!", called Karin as she came back. "I have to go."

**.**

**.**

**.**

The three of them were walking by the playground. Sasuke wore his black hoodie again while the other two left his dormitory wearing only what they originally had on earlier.

"I'm really sorry the two of you didn't get to do much studying because of me.", said Karin

"I can manage on my own.", Sasuke told her.

"I need to cross right here.", said Sakura as they arrived at the overpass.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded. "Get home safe. I'll help Karin get a cab."

Karin smiled at Sasuke then turned to Sakura. "Get home safe Sakura. See you tomorrow."

"Bye!", she waved at them.

Sakura ascended the stairs and walked all the way to the other side of the flyover. As she descended, a bus was coming towards the bus stop up ahead..

She got on the bus and found herself a seat. She looked back and out the window and saw Karin wrapping her hands around Sasuke's arm again as they waited for a cab to drive by.

Sasuke seemed more eager than Karin, to hail a cab as soon as possible.

…

**/"How long have you been in love with Sasuke-kun?"/**

**/"Since Junior High, I guess."/**

**/"There's a warm, gentle person inside of there somewhere... Sasuke-kun is really kind. People just didn't see it. But I did."/**

**/"Sasuke-kun is... so lucky to have you."/**

…

Sakura pulled out her phone and started typing a message for Sasori.

_*Hey, Can you call me tonight? This new homework you said you needed my help with, I may actually have a few things to teach you about it.*_

She was excited as she waited for his reply.

Her phone eventually vibrated and she checked her message just as the bus started to move.

_*Sorry Sakura. I don't know if I'll have time for that tonight. This party is far from over but I'm already tired. I just want to go home and sleep. Just send it to me by e-mail when you're done okay?*_

…

**/"You'd think he'd at least want to use that as an excuse to just listen to your voice."/**

…

Sakura's smile vanished. Before she knew it, she had started to compare Sasori to Sasuke.

…

**/"You don't have to wait with me until the bus gets here."/**

**/"Sakura! ... Get home safe."/**

…

"…"

…

**/"If you look close enough you'll see his kind gestures and find a sweet side to him, hidden somewhere deep inside all that hard and stoic surface."/**

…

Sakura remembered when Sasuke had held out his sweater to her...

She remembered when she pulled her away from Kimimaru's grip and stepped in front of her...

…

**/"I think you're going to become a good boyfriend.../**

…

She remembered what she saw as she walked behind Sasuke and Karin earlier - her hands around his arm...

…

**/...to that lucky girl out there someday."/**

…

And then she saw herself replaced Karin in that image.

Sakura gasped.

**['N-No way.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**


	9. 2.4

**(2.4)**

**WICKED GAME**

" ** _Why are you being so nice to me?"_**

Sakura reached for a pack of cheese flavored chips and placed it in a basket with all the other junk food she got.

She made one last stop at the cold beverages and took out one of the cooled energy drink before proceeding to the counter of the convenient store.

As she approached the cashier, her phone rang.

She slowly placed the items on the counter and took out her phone and her wallet. She answered the call as the employee ran the products over the prize scanner.

"Ino-pig? What's the matter? I was with you just up until a few moments ago."

" _Yeah sorry, I forgot to ask you something. Mom needs to know right now, if you're available this summer."_

"Available... for what?"

_"How do you feel about helping us out in the flower shop this summer vacation?"_

"I can't.", she answered as she pulled out a bill from her wallet and handed it to the cashier.

" _Thought so. I bet you're planning to spend the entire break cramming for college entrance exams."_

"Well there's that too."

" _That too?!"_

Sakura accepted her change and picked up the grocery bag that now contained her purchase.

_"Am I missing something here?"_

She moved away from the counter to give way to the person behind her. She held the phone between her shoulder and right cheek so she could put away her wallet.

_"Did you actually have something planned out for this summer?"_

Sakura straightened herself as she held the phone by hand again then walked towards the exit. "I was actually planning to help-"

**['Sasuke-kun?']**

Sakura recognized one of two boys across the street. She was looking at his back but she could easily tell that it was him.

**['I know it's him. Of course, I can tell that it's him. But that's only becauseâ€¦ the boy with him is thatâ€¦ Suigetsu guy, therefore making it sort of a dead giveaway. Yeah. That's it. Definitely 'not'â€¦ because I had burned the image of his back into my brain.']**

She was about to call out to him but the memory of picturing herself holding onto Sasuke's arm bothered her so she decided against the act.

" _Hello? Forehead? Are you still there?"_

Ino's voice reminded her that she was still in the middle of a call.

"Huh? Ino, something came up. I'll call you when I get home, okay."

After Sakura ended the call, she pocketed her phone and turned to walk away.

"Sakura! Hey! SAKURA! Over here!"

She had to stop. She couldn't pretend she didn't hear Suigetsu.

She glanced back at their direction and found them looking at her. Suigetsu was even waving at her.

She got a good look at Sasuke.

**['So this is what Sasuke-kun's like at night. â€¦ While he's weak in the morning; groggy and irritable, he seemed full of life at night. These night lights even made him more attractive.']**

She remembered just how handsome he was no matter how simple he dressed. He was only wearing a plain white t-shirt, black straight jeans and an old pair of athletic shoes and yet he still outshined Suigetsu, who was wearing a fancy black tight-fitting v neck shirt, skinny jeans and a pair of Jordan.

**['He looks good in anything.']**

Sasuke's eyes met hers. Sakura anxiously broke the eye contact causing Sasuke to furrow his eyebrows.

Sakura's gaze locked on to her red converse as she reached for her braids. She then realized she must look stupid, feeling for her braids when her hair was actually tied in a pony tail that time.

When she decided to look back at the two boys, she saw that they were already crossing the street.

...

Sakura was not able to stop herself from flashing him a fake smile. "Hi." she greeted him and Suigetsu as they walked towards her.

**['Uh-oh. He hates it when I do that.']**

Sakura knew Sasuke knows when she's faking a smile.

"Hn.", he grunted. "What are you doing out this late? Andâ€¦ in only that?"

And she knew he was talking about the lack of layers in her clothing. She only wore a red sleeveless shirt under her black jumper.

**['Seriously?']**

"I- I was just with Ino. Then, I decided to buy some... stuff before I go home.", she explained.

"Us too." Suigetsu lifted the paper bags he held for emphasis. "For the bar."

Sasuke's eyes however, were on the plastic bag 'she' held.

She felt compelled to inform him of the contents. "Snacksâ€¦ for an all-nighter."

**['Oops.']**

"An all-nighter?", asked Sasuke. "What for? It's Sunday tomorrow. Don't you think you're working a little too hard? Give yourself a break."

"Didn't you tell me to do my own studying?"

"Aa. But every time I looked at you this past week you have your face buried in a book."

**['That was because I didn't want to look at you.']**

"Uhm~"

"Is this for one of Sasori's homework again?"

Sakura answered his question with a weak nod.

"Eh? Who's Sasori?", inquired Suigetsu.

Sakura kept her head lowered but slowly lifted her gaze to glance at Sasuke's face.

**['Is he upset?']**

When her eyes were on Sasuke's chin, she decided to look away.

**['Wait! Why would he be? And why should I care if he is?']**

Suigetsu pressed on. "Ne, Sakura, who's this Sasori?"

"Her boyfriend.", said Sasuke.

"He's not-" Sakura quickly faced Sasuke to correct him "my boyfriendâ€¦ yet."

They're eyes met again. She looked away again.

**['Damn it.']**

"Yet? So, do you want him to be your boyfriend or not?", Suigetsu wondered, genuinely curious.

"I do!", she answered him just to shut him up. "I- I gotta get home. And, Orochimaru-san probably needs those." she pointed at the bags Sasuke was carrying.

"Yeah. You're right. Later then.", said Suigetsu.

"Goodnight.", bid Sakura. Then without waiting for Sasuke to respond she quickly turned around and walked away.

"Sasuke?"

She heard Suigetsu say, followed by the rustling sounds of the paper bags. Then she heard footsteps and felt someone's presence behind her.

She sighed heavily then immediately caught the scent of Sasuke's cologne as soon as she inhaled.

"I'll walk you to the bus stop.", he told her.

She stopped. "No! There's no need to. I'm-"

"I can tell you want to be alone right now. But you don't have the right to ask me to take a hint and leave you be."

Sakura had no answer to that. She continued on her way with Sasuke trailing a few steps behind her. His legs are longer than hers so he would eventually catch up to her every now and then. But then he would slow down and fall behind just to give her as much space as he felt she needed.

**['Why?']**

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Sakura was surprised at herself. She hadn't intended to voice out her thoughts.

"Me? Being nice? I haven't heard that one before."

Sakura suddenly stopped. Sasuke stops a few seconds later and ends up standing beside her. She turned to face him. "But you are!", she yelled at him.

"Am I?"

"Yes! You're _awfully_ being nice! And the fact that you're not even aware of it makes it more... _frustrating_!", she stressed.

Sasuke took a moment to study her features before speaking. "Okay. But I thought the word 'nice' had a positive connotation. You seem to be disappointed. You're upset."

She felt her cheeks go warm. She wasn't sure if it was because she was somewhat angry or that she just raised her voice at him or because of what she had actually told him. Or maybe because at that moment, she was looking up at him and he was looking back at her. She ended up averting her eyes again.

Sasuke kept his gaze at her. "Are my actions really making you uncomfortable? You're the one who said you would pull on me. And now I'mâ€¦ gravitating towards you-"

"Don't say it like _that_!"

"Are you really bothered by it?"

"It's just that... it's making me feel like... I'm such a _horrible person_."

"..."

Sakura pointed a finger at him. "You! You're the guy everyone hates for no reason at all. But you turned out to be such a nice guy." Then she pointed at herself. "I on the other hand, have no excuse to be such a bitch but I am anyways. And everyone who hates me is just waiting for a chance or looking for an excuse to slap me in the face."

"I thought you said you didn't care if anyone hated you?"

Sakura scowled.

**['He didn't even pretend to deny that I was a bitch. Wait! Why am I disappointed?']**

She began to walk away from him again.

**['Shouldn't I be happy he's not trying to comfort me.'?]**

"For whatever it's worth.", he spoke. "I'm not on that list yet."

Sakura was both surprised and moved.

**['There it is. How is it that he can say something so heartwarming without even trying?']**

"Some people will eventually just find themselves hating you whether or not you do something to directly merit their hate. And you will find yourself hating others as well. Isn't that normal?

Hate isn't such a bad thing. It's because we know what it's like to hate some things that we truly understand how it feels like to love something."

Sakura snorted. "Sorry! ... That was justâ€¦ It's just sort of weird to hear something like that from you. â€¦ Wait. Hold on. You just saidâ€¦ you don't hate me so, are you're implying that youâ€¦ actually love me?" she had the nerve to joke about it despite her confusion.

"You revoked my liberty to love you. Remember?"

Sakura found herself turning around to look at him. She was not expecting him to tease her back. And she was definitely not expecting him to do it with a smirk on his face. "Did you just-"

"And to answer your question; I honestly wasn't aware I was being 'awfully' nice.", he quoted. "I thought I was _tolerating_ you at best."

**['Smooth. You played that cool Uchiha!']**

"But if you say so, then I guess I am being very considerate of you, aren't I? And I guess, it's because your circumstance and mine are somewhat similar.", he continued.

"How?"

Sasuke walked on and it was his turn to lead the way. "You want to go to college but your parents think it's not necessary and want something else for you. Well, I too have something I want to do. But my family thinks it's... pointless."

"Is that why you left home?"

"Aa."

"Oh. I- I could never bring myself to run away from home even if my parents don't understand how important it is for me that I go to college. Is your circumstance that bad?"

"It depends on how you look at it."

"If it's okay, can you tell me more about it?"

Sasuke shrugged. "My brother was adopted by my grandfather. He raised Itachi to become his heir but, now that he's also gone; my grandfather now expects me to fill the space that he had originally intended for him.

It's not such a bad thing really. It's just that... I'm not ready. Before I fill up Itachi's empty space, I want to fill mine first. There's something I have to do first, or else I won't be able to move on with my life.

But my grandfather doesn't understand that. He thinks my objective is a waste of my time and his resources and if I insist on pursuing it, I'd have to do it without his financial help. He also threatened my uncle's privileges should he support me, so I moved out of the house."

"Your uncle; he's your guardian?"

"Aa. He can't afford to suffer a financial crisis especially now that he's planning to start a family of his own."

"So you didn't run away from home?"

"Hn. I can go back whenever, but it means I'd have to give up on my goal."

"And Kakashi-sensei was completely aware of your circumstance?"

"Aa."

"Does Naruto know?"

"Hn." he shook his head. "When my brother asked me to keep his condition a secret from everyone, I hadn't had the chance to talk to him. And everything went downhill from there."

"You know, Naruto was upset with you for keeping your brother's condition a secret from him?"

Sakura gave Sasuke a moment to react to what she had just said. When he did not make any effort to avoid talking about Naruto, Sakura continued.

"But he seemed more upset with himself because he knew he wouldn't have made a bigger effort to fix things between the two of you if he hadn't learned of your brother's death."

"Did he tell you that?"

"In a wayâ€¦ Is it really impossible to go back to the way you two were?"

"His peers aren't that fond of me. I can't just walk over to his group of friends and have them accept me all of a sudden. I'm not keen on bonding with the lot of them myself. But I'm not so conceited as to pull Naruto away from them just to have my best friend back."

"But is it really okay to just leave things the way they are now?"

"I know you're concerned but it's for us to figure out on our own."

The two of them reached the bus stop. Sakura sat at the bench. When Sasuke followed suit, he left the usual space he kept between them.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hm?"

"Is it okay if I ask you what it is that you want to do?"

It took a few good seconds for him to answer her. "To play one last game with my brother."

Sakura was about to open her mouth but then she decided to stay silent.

**['I thought of so many questions I wanted to ask him. And I don't know if I'll ever get another chance to ask him. But...**

Sakura stared at Sasuke as he looked onwards. He seemed like he was in such a faraway place.

**... If I ask him, I might ruin his mood. â€¦ That gentle expression on his face. I want him to keep it... even if it's only for a little bit longer.']**

...

A pregnant woman soon joined them on the shed. Sasuke immediately stood up and had her take his place on the bench. He moved to the back of the bench and stood behind Sakura.

**['Being considerate huh? He really is a nice guy. It's not like I'm special.']**

**/"Sasuke-kun is like an unreachable entity. I supposed it made people think that; if you were acknowledged by him, you must be someone very special."/**

Sakura felt both relieved and lonely.

...

The bus arrived and the pregnant woman made a move to get on it.

Sakura also stood up.

**['No. This is wrong. I'm not supposed to be his friend. I'm supposed to be blunt with him even if I end up hurting him. Even if he ends up hating me.']**

"Aren't you getting on?", Sasuke wondered.

"Sasuke-kun.", murmured Sakura.

**['It's something only I can do.']**

"Even though you just told me that we are similar. Even though you just shared something very personal. Even though I understand your situationâ€¦ I still think it's for the best that you come home."

Sasuke's eyes followed the bus as it drove off.

"I understand that there's something you want to do for your brother. And it's something you probably feel you need to do for your own peace of mind as well. But if doing it means that you have to be alone. That you have to lose your friends or your familyâ€¦ Is it really something that your parents or your brother would want you to go through with?

**['But it's fine. I can do this. I will do this. After all, I am a horrible person.']**

I'm sorry. I should probably comfort you and tell you; 'I know exactly how you feel' but instead I'mâ€¦ I'm just really worried about you. I just want you to be happy with your friends and family. I want you to LIVE.

Itachi- Your brother- He's gone now. But Naruto, he's here. Kakashi-sensei is here. Karin is here. Your uncle and your grandfather is here.

**['I'm sorry! I'm sorry if it hurts! I'm sorry if it offends you! But please... Endure it. And take these words to heart.']**

And...

**/"She's got you now as well."/**

Me too. I'm here for you too. Let's do our best. Let's just do what we can do for now. And right now we're still young. Let's just focus on getting through high school. Then college. And then when we're older; more matured and more able, we can truly be independent.

You don't really have to rush the idea of completing yourself as a person. You don't have to do it alone either. I promise, I'll still be here for you. I'll help you then. Fill that space.

Even if this world forces you to become someone else. I'll still remember the ' _you_ from this time. I'll remember you as just Sasuke-kun. And I'll remind you just how perfect you are as just you."

Sasuke stayed silent the whole time.

Sakura was suddenly afraid to turn around and find out what his reaction was to everything she had just said. "Sasuke-kun?", she reluctantly spoke.

He chuckled.

Sakura quickly turned around before she even realized she now had the courage to face him and saw that he was 'smiling'.

**/"Sasuke-kun had a beautiful smile."/**

**['He's so... beautiful.**

**Why? Why do I suddenly feel like he could just absorb my entire being into his own?**

She was grateful for the bench between them.

**If it weren't for this obstacle... I would've been sucked in. I would've melted.']**

"I swear! Everything that comes from your mouth, sounds like a confession.", he said. "If I didn't know about Sasori, you would've stirred something up in my heart long ago."

Sakura blushed heavily. She had to cover her face with her hands in an attempt to hide it from him. "Damn it. Uchiha! Save your flirting for Karin!"

**['It's my heart that's being stirred by you! And I just got the whole thing out of my head too.']**

"You're the one who's bad for my heart! You're a natural flirt aren't you?!"

"No! Seriously though, now I'm just curious; how did you confess to Sasori? It must've been really romantic?"

"I- I just straight up told him! No! Why am I telling you that?!... You're obviously just changing the subject!"

Sasuke held up his hand. "Right. You caught me." He lowered his hand and placed it inside his pockets. "Thank you."

Once again, he surprised her. "For what?"

"For saying the words I didn't even know I needed to hear.", he said with a soft expression.

Sakura smiled.

**['You make me want to forget being me. You make me want to just become a part of you!**

**So this is... _the_ Uchiha Sasuke.']**

Another bus arrived.

"Please tell me you're getting on that oneâ€¦ I'm really late for work."

Sakura laughed. "Yeah. I am. Thanks for walking with me and for talking with me. I'll see you on Monday." Sakura picked up her grocery bag.

"Something wrong?", asked Sasuke because she still hadn't move towards the bus.

"Ah. No. Bye then.", she told him then made a move to get on the bus.

**['No 'get home safe' this time?']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

As soon as she sat down, she looked out the window and saw Sasuke walking away while typing something on his phone.

The bus moved forward and she felt her phone vibrated in her pocket.

It was a message from Sasuke;

_*Message me when you get home.*_

If Sakura had monstrous strength, she would have crushed her phone with how tight she held it as she covered her blushing face.

She straightened herself up when she noticed that some of the passengers' attention was on her.

Her phone vibrated again and she wanted to slap herself for being too eager to read the new message.

Her enthusiasm somehow diminished when she learned that the new message was from Sasori.

_*How's it coming along?*_

Sakura started typing a reply.

_*I got started on it but I'm just taking a break. I hung out with Ino for a while but I'm already on my way home.*_

She sent it and didn't even expect him to reply. When her phone vibrated again, she wasn't that keen on reading the new message.

_*I see. Just e-mail it to me when you're done. Night.*_

Sakura put away her phone and leaned her head on the window.

**['A part of me should be happy that Sasori messaged me. But why do I feel likeâ€¦**

She sighed.

**I wished that this night just ended with Sasuke-kun's message as the last thing on my mind."]**

~ _I guess my problem's always been_

_Giving people everything_

_And expecting the same_

_He said he didn't do commitment_

_With tattoos on his skin_

_Maybe I wasn't worth the pain_

_Oh if only I, I could verbalise_

_What's really going on_

_I internalise and I don't know why_

_But it's taking its toll_

_Nobody ever taught me to play_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_Nobody ever taught me to play_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Is just too much and I'm never enough_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_I keep my words inside my lungs_

_Bottle it all up_

_I've heard that's what the broken do_

_I don't know how to ask for help_

_Teach me to be someone else_

_Teach me to be somebody new_

_I've been thinking about death_

_But I'll hold my breath_

_And I'll bite my tongue_

_These are dark, dark times_

_But I know that I_

_I will be what I become_

_Nobody ever taught me to play_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_Nobody ever taught me to play_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Is just too much and I'm never enough_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_Nobody ever taught me to play_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_Nobody ever taught me to play_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_Nobody ever taught me to play_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_Nobody ever taught me to play_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Where everything_

_Is just too much and I'm never enough_

_This Wicked Game_

_This wicked, Wicked Game_

_(WICKED GAME - Lauren Aquilina)_ ~

She saw her own reflection as she stared into the glass.

* * *

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

Sakura looked beyond her reflection and saw her stop coming up ahead.

The vehicle stopped.

She had been standing by the mechanical door of the train, waiting for it to open.

The door opened. She picked up her suitcase and stepped into the light.

The mechanical door closed behind her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_Noir_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_TBC_ **


	10. 3.1

**(3.1)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _After all, I really am a horrible person."_**

**_Noir_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

~Clack, Clack, Clack / Tap, Tap, Tap~

~Squeak... Screech...~

~Click, Clack / Flip, Flop, Thwack~

*Soft and heavy breathings

*Voices / Murmurs

~Swoosh~

The dark fabric moves away, revealing itself to be a part of a man's coat.

The man joins the sea of people making their way across the station and disappeared as he blended among the crowd.

A vibrant color stands out from the monochromatic scene. A petite woman with rose gold hair and green eyes emerges from the sea of strangers.

"There she is."

Sakura heard Ino's voice. She started looking around for a girl with long platinum blonde hair and found Ino sitting in the waiting area beside a man she immediately recognized as Nara Shikamaru.

Ino stood up and straightened her purple dress as she waved at Sakura. Shikamaru, who looked like he was dragged by Ino at the last minute and didn't have time to change out of his plain white t-shirt and worn out jeans, stayed seated and opted to just nod at her.

Sakura waddled over to where they were with a smile.

Ino let her put down her suitcase first before moving closer for a tight hug.

"You made it Forehead!" She started swaying both their bodies together and after a few good seconds she pulled herself back a bit but left her hands on Sakura's shoulders. She squeezed her shoulders and giggled. "I'm so proud of you."

Sakura sighed but kept her smile.

Ino suddenly turned serious and made sure Sakura was looking her in the eyes. "The dress?"

"I didn't forget."

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "As I'll ever be."

Ino slid her hands down to Sakura's. "You'll be fine.", she assured her.

"Right!" Sakura nodded and Ino finally let go of her.

Sakura then turned her head to the bearded man. "Hey there Shikamaru. It's been a while."

"Good to see you Sakura.", said Shikamaru, standing up.

"It's good to see you too." Sakura went for a friendly hug and pecked him on the cheek.

"Oh. She's already here."

Sakura turned around and saw a man with handsome boyish features. He was walking towards them with a cup of coffee in each hand. She wasn't sure if he was alarmingly pale or if his fair skin just lit up in contrast to his all black attire; composed of a polo shirt, slim-fitting jeans and a pair of Vans.

**['He looks familiar.']**

The man gave one of the cups to Ino who accepted it gratefully. As soon as she relieved his left hand of the cup he anchored the said hand at the small of Ino's back.

"Ah. Sakura, you remember Sai.", hinted Ino.

"Sai?" Sakura thought hard. Then her face brightened as she recalled. "Sai, the picture book artist."

The man smiled at her. He let go of Ino so he could transfer his cup of coffee to that hand. Then he held out his now free right hand for Sakura to shake. "It's nice to finally meet you Doctor Haruno."

Sakura shook his hand. "No wonder I thought you look familiar. Ino's been stalking your social media accounts for a while now." She glanced at Ino who glared at her.

"Really?", asked Sai, also glancing at Ino.

They both pulled their hands back.

"Yes." Sakura smiled at him. "So, she finally asked you out?"

Sai chuckled.

Ino cleared her throat. Then she turned to Sakura. "Anyway~"

"Can we just get going now that Sakura's here?", Shikamaru interjected.

"Okay! Fine!", Ino sassed. "But don't forget we have to make a gas stop."

"I know.", said Shikamaru as he lead the way to the exit.

"Here. I'll carry that for you." Sai picked up Sakura's suitcase and followed behind Shikamaru.

"Thanks." Sakura walked beside Ino, who immediately wrap her hand around Sakura's arm.

The two girls left the station hand in hand while exchanging knowing looks and smiling at each other.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"We'll be right back.", Ino told Sai.

Sai nodded.

The two girls made their way to the restroom of the gasoline station while Shikamaru filled his tank.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"So, I see you got yourself a boyfriend.", said Sakura as she went out of the stall. She joined Ino in front of the vanity mirror and proceeded to wash her hands. "Is there any particular reason why you decided to keep that a secret from me until now?"

Ino blinked from her reflection to Sakura's "Because I'm not sure it's even official yet. It's kind of the early days.", she told Sakura as she touched up her foundation.

Sakura cocked an eyebrow. "Early days? He came here with you!" she practically yelled as she turned the tap. "He's staying at the house where your parents live!"

"Why thank you Forehead." Ino sets her compact make-up aside and pulled some tissues from the dispenser and handed them to Sakura. "I'm glad you're happy for me that I finally got a guy to come home and meet my parents.", she told her using a sarcastic tone.

Sakura sighed. She began drying her hands with the tissues Ino gave her. "I am happy for you! Really happy! You know that?! … It's just- If this was any other time, it would've showed more, I'm sure. But you went and brought him now of all times. Now, I'm going to be the only one who's single in that affair."

"And that's why; I didn't want to tell you about Sai sooner." Ino placed her make-up back into her quilted bag "I just knew you'd be worried about something like that. But seriously, you being single is no secret to everyone. And why would you even assume that you're going to be the only one who's single there? For all we know, you might find a single guy attending the wedding. And he might just be interested in you."

Sakura snorted as she threw the tissues into the trash bin. "I came here to show my support to the bride and groom and give them my regards. _Not_ to find myself a man."

"Whatever Forehead. Don't speak so soon. You never know." Ino flipped her ponytail as she made her way to the door.

Sakura followed her out of the restroom and the two girls walked-

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

...along the sidewalk on their way to school.

"A summer job? With Sasuke and Karin?" Ino looked dumbfounded.

"Yeah.", said Sakura, matter of fact.

Ino narrowed her eyes. "Chiiiiii~" she verbalized her stare.

"What?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at her.

"Calling him up in the morning everyday so he won't sleep in and Making sure he eats something during lunch... Your concern was understandable.

Going to his dorm to bring his homework; now for someone who likes to keep to herself on Sundays... And I know how much you hate it when I bother you on Sundays... I'd say that's admirable effort on your part.

But you, taking on a summer job to help him pay off his rent! Not only did you volunteer, the whole thing was your idea!" Ino gave Sakura a good long look. "YOU?! You of all people?! Going out of your way to help someone?" Ino stopped walking.

Sakura halted as well. "What?!", she questioned Ino's actions.

"You like him."

Sakura blushed and Ino blinked

"Oh my go- You like him?!", Ino spoke louder.

"Ssshh!" Sakura hushed her. "I- No! I mean, Sasuke-kun is indeed likable as a person. What I meant to say is, he's actually boyfriend material but… Damn it. Let me start over!"

Ino stared at the mess that is Haruno Sakura, flabbergasted. "Oh no! ... OH NO! ... You got struck! The Sasuke-sexy-love-bug-spear struck you down like lightning."

"Sasuke-sexy-lohvuh-fweh! What?!"

Ino took Sakura's hand and pulled her towards an alley and out of earshot of the other students making their way to school.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"On one note.", Ino giggled. "I knew you weren't immune to his charms. Congratulations Forehead. We just confirmed that you're actually a normal human girl."

"..."

"On another note." Ino took a deep breath. "Haruno Sakura! What were you thinking?!... I mean, it was fun to tease you about him and all... but I didn't expect you to actually fall for the guy! ... You already have a date with destiny! Destiny as in S-A-S-O-R-I!"

"I know! And I love Sasori! ... I don't like 'like' Sasuke-kun! I like him… like you like Shikamaru... Or Choji... Or Asuma-sensei.", said Sakura. She quickly dropped her hand as soon as she realized she was trying to reach for her hairclips.

"Really?" Ino popped her eyes out.

"Yeah~" Sakura didn't sound convincing at all.

"Hm." Ino furrowed her eyebrows. "Seriously?! Get yourself together Forehead! I know Sasuke's gorgeous and all. It's normal to be attracted to him. What you're going through is just a phase. It'll pass as soon as you realize that it's just physical attraction. … Sasori however, he's the man of your dreams, remember? He loves you, you know that!"

**['Of course I know that! I have Sasori. I love him and he loves me. I'm just lonely that's all. This distance that I feel between us will disappear as soon as I'm done with high school.']**

"Don't let go of what you have with Sasori over an infatuation.", added Ino.

"Like I said Ino, I feel nothing like that for Sasuke! I'm only helping him because-

**['That's right. It doesn't really matter whether I have feelings for Sasuke-kun or not because someone like me can't possibly deserve him.']**

...I need him to perform better in class. And with the way he's keeping up with me, we'll definitely get a higher point than Hyuuga and Lee." she assured Ino.

**['After all. I really am a horrible person.']**

Ino nodded. "That's right Forehead. You have to beat Neji if you want your parents to let you move on to college. Don't forget the real reason why you're working so hard for.", Ino reminded her.

"I didn't forget Ino-pig!", Sakura exclaimed.

Ino reached out to pat Sakura on her shoulder. "Good. Don't lose yourself Forehead." Ino smiled at her.

Sakura smiled back at her but as soon as Ino looked away, Sakura's left hand reached for her hair clips. As if knowing that it was still there gave Sakura courage, she sighed then followed Ino back to the side walk.

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

After the morning classes, Sakura receive a message from Sasori.

_*Sorry I keep relying on you. But can you work on it faster? My deadline is coming up.*_

_*I'll do my best.*_

-she texted back.

Sakura looked away from her phone screen when she felt Ino's hand on her shoulder.

"Hey. Tenten and I decided to go to the shopping district this afternoon.", said Ino as she pointed back at Tenten who was having a conversation with Temari and Hinata. "We're going to buy the materials for that project in art class that's due on Saturday. Wanna come with?"

"Oh. That's actually perfect. I was planning to go to the book store."

"Book store?"

"I need to find a good source material and reference for what I'm currently working on."

"Oh. I didn't think you were having any problems with our lectures Sakura. Which homework is it? Perhaps we could help.", said Hinata as she approached Sakura and Ino. Tenten and Temari joined her as well.

"Ah no. It's not school related.", Sakura cleared. "At least, not ours."

"College stuff.", Ino explained. "She's helping Sasori with his minor requirements."

"Wow Sakura. On top off helping Uchiha-san with his studies you're also doing college level homework. To manage all of that while retaining your class standing, you're amazing." Hinata complimented her.

"T-thanks."

"So did Ino tell you? Are you coming?", asked Tenten. Then she saw Sasuke making his way out of the classroom. "Why not bring Uchiha with you?"

Sasuke paused as he heard his name. He stopped right behind Sakura, who tensed up when she realized Ino was looking at them.

"Iruka-sensei said to work on it as a pair since we only have this week to complete it. You could also use the hand. You can't possibly carry all those materials along the shops on your own.", added Tenten.

Despite Ino squinting her eyes at Sakura, she went ahead and invited Sasuke. "So, want to come along with us?"

"I supposed.", he answered.

"What about you guys?" Tenten turned to Hinata and Temari.

Temari was the first to decline. She shrugged and motioned for Shikamaru who was leaning on his desk.

"As much as I want to start on that project, my partner, as you're all aware of is a procrastinator. We haven't even discuss what we're gonna do for that homework yet. But knowing Shikamaru, he's probably gonna pull a last minute miracle and have one done by the deadline."

The rest of the girls nodded in agreement.

"Yup. I can see that happening.", said Ino.

Tenten turned to Hinata. "What about you?"

Hinata glanced at Sakura. They shared a look until the both of them turned to look at Sasuke.

He took a deep breath and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

Hinata faced Tenten again and shook her head. "I think, Naruto-kun and I will go with Neji-kun's group another time.", she answered gesturing towards the boys.

Neji looked very annoyed as he was helping an oblivious Lee with his homework.

Near them, Naruto was animated as he seemed to be telling a story to Choji and the boy who's always wearing sun glasses.

"So, it's just us two pairs then." Tenten concluded.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Later that afternoon, Sakura, Sasuke, Ino and Tenten found themselves walking around the shopping district.

"Leave the heavy stuff to us.", suggested Tenten as she stepped closer to Sasuke. "You get the utility knife, tapes and the other essentials."

"Okay." Ino nodded.

"Why can't we just go together?", asked Sakura.

"Hm." Tenten smirked. "What's the matter Sakura? Do you want to stay with Uchiha?"

"That's not it! Inviting him was your idea, remember?", Sakura retorted.

Tenten snickered at the blushing girl.

Ino pretended to cough and Sakura was suddenly anxious.

Sasuke stared at the three girls, clueless as to what the random tapping, poking and 'jazz hands' gestures, Ino and Sakura was exchanging with one another, all about.

"We'll cover more ground this way. Just leave the heavy stuff like cardboards to me and Uchiha here.", Tenten maintained.

"That's right Forehead." Ino forced a grin on her face as she held Sakura's hand. "Besides knowing you, you're gonna get lost in all those books and stationeries. This way, you'll have more time to ogle on those while Tenten and Sasuke buy the other stuff."

Sakura watched as Tenten patted Sasuke's shoulder and motioned for him to follow her. She looked at him apologetically and Sasuke shrugged before walking away with Tenten.

Ino pulled Sakura towards the book store but Sakura still had her eyes on Sasuke's back.

"Sakura!", Ino called her out.

She whipped her head towards the blonde. "I'm just worried that he might be uncomfortable with being around Tenten.", she reasoned.

"Oh now you're considering his personal space. In case you haven't noticed, you've deprived him of that for the past two months."

"I don't ever recall being touchy-feely with him."

"Oh you didn't touch him during the incident with Naruto that one time?"

"You know exactly what I mean Ino!"

"Does it bother you that Tenten could just... touch him like that?"

**['Does it bother me?']**

"Tenten's a tomboy. She's not mindful around boys. And Sasuke looked like he didn't mind it. A girl touching him isn't new to him. He's Uchiha Sasuke. I bet girls outside the school still fawn over him."

Ino just kept talking but Sakura was stuck at...

**['He didn't mind. Come to think of it… with Karin too.']**

"Unless! That's not real the problem!" Ino's eyes widened. "Could it be? It wasn't about how Sasuke feels about being touched... It's about how you feel about other girls touching him! You're jealous! You want to be the one closest to him. You want to… touch him."

"NO! How did you even get to that from the topic of Sasuke-kun's personal space?!"

**['Do I want to touch him?']**

The memory of a certain night came back to her. The moment that she saw him smiling.

**['That night. I felt like I could just... What? What was it that I would do? What do I want to do?']**

She remembered the moments Karin was holding on to Sasuke. Then, she remembered what happened earlier with Tenten.

**['He didn't mind.**

**What if it was me? Would he mind if I touched him?**

**I- He touched me.']**

The accidental shoving that resulted in him ripping her uniform…

That moment in the infirmary when he caught her by her shoulders…

The event with Kimimaru back at his dorm…

The memory of it all had her blushing. She shook the thoughts of him away.

"Damn it Forehead! I thought you-"

"Said I didn't like him?! I don't! So stop making me asses how I see or feel about him!", she blurted out. "Listen to yourself. All this talk about how he's gorgeous and it's perfectly normal to be attracted to him. Aren't you just speaking based on your old crush?!"

Ino fell silent.

"You're the one who's putting all these suggestive thoughts in my head with how much you've been talking about him!"

"Well. I-", Ino considered. "You're right. Maybe I've been jumping to conclusions... because I used to have a crush on him and... because you're my best friend. I just know how easy it is to fall head over heels for him and I know how lonely you've been ever since Sasori moved to Tokyo.

I'm sorry! ... I shouldn't have thought of you that way. I mean I know you so well. You're my best friend. I've seen you crushed on Sasori and you've only ever want to go out with him ever since. I know how much you've only thought of him for the last six years."

Sakura was suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling of extreme guilt.

"I shouldn't have doubted your feelings for him. After all, everything you're doing is so you can be with him in Tokyo.", Ino continued.

"Th-That's r-right.", Sakura stuttered. "Er...Everything is for him. Including why I'm about to head inside the book store with you… So, let's just go in okay?"

Sakura took the opportunity to end the conversation then and there by going ahead of Ino into the store.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Ino really did know her well. She was also right about how Sakura loves books and stationeries. As soon as she was inside, her nostrils were filled with the sweet and musty smell of old books and stationeries as well as the redolent fragrance of newly unpacked ones. She was suddenly filled with excitement.

Her eagerness to go around and check out each and every shelf was very blatantly obvious in Ino's eyes. Ino sighed and relaxed. She was just happy to see the Sakura whom she knows so well instead of a girl she couldn't figure out.

"Well then. You go ahead and look for whatever book you need. I'll take care of the rest." Ino told her.

"Oh no! I couldn't let you do all the shopping alone."

"Just give me your list Sakura. I can tell how badly you want to just dive into those bookshelves."

"But-"

Ino held out her hand demanding for the list. With a smile, she cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?", Sakura beamed.

Ino smiled wider.

Sakura produce the list and Ino shooed her off.

"Thanks Ino!" Sakura darted off.

**.**

**.**

**.**

She wandered into an aisle that was labeled with 'Medical Books'. After going through the titles quickly, she started pulling books out one by one. She skimmed through introductions and scanned pages. She returned the ones she didn't need and perused the ones that caught her attention.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Seconds passed. Minutes. How long had she been reading that one book? And was that book the ninth or the tenth she had checked out. Sakura had lost herself in a book that magnificently described the human heart.

'The "thump-thump" of a heartbeat is the sound made by the four valves of the heart closing.'

Her heart thumped as if it was synchronized to the words she had read.

'BLOOD FLOW THROUGH THE HEART'

She was fascinated. She had the same exhilarating feeling one gets when they're reading a climatic action scene or a heartwarming romantic scene from a novel.

She studied the picture and imagined it in motion as if she was watching a science program.

In her mind, she could picture the three dimensional transparent heart. It was glowing in contrast to the dark backdrop she had envisioned.

'Deoxygenated blood from the veins passes through the: (1.) SUPERIOR AND INFERIOR VENA CAVA - blood is drained from the head and lower body into the (2.) RIGHT ATRIUM - travels through the (3.) TRICUSPID VALVE - into the (4.) RIGHT VENTRICLE - through the (5.) PULMONARY SEMILUNAR VALVE - into the (6.) PULMONARY TRUNK - where...'

She visualized it pumping the blood - a crimson red line - through the valves, from one chamber to another. She even imagined the blood at cellular level.

'(7.) PULMONARY ARTERIES - take the deoxygenated blood to the...'

Sakura inhaled and felt the air fill her lungs.

'(8.) LUNGS - to pick up oxygen. Oxygenated blood is pumped back to the heart through the...'

Then in her mind's diagram, she represented oxygen as glowing silver dots and imagined it as it was absorbed in the system.

'(9.) PULMONARY VEINS - into the (10.) LEFT ATRIUM - travels through the (11.) BICUSPID VALVE - into the (12.) LEFT VENTRICLE - throught the (13.) AORTIC SEMILUNAR VALVE - into the (14.) AORTA - where the oxygenated blood is pumped to the rest of the body.'

As she pictured the blood circulation, she felt warm all over. She felt the life in every single cell in her body.

'INTO THE BODY - the deoxygenated blood from the lungs will flow through the arteries and then into the arterioles (small arteries) and then to capillaries where gas exchange takes place, then the deoxygenated blood will flow into venules (small veins) back into veins eventually arriving back at the heart.'

And the process starts over again. From her chest to the very tips of her toes and her fingers...

Her fingers twitched. She had to turn the page. The sound of the paper flipping broke her concentration and that's when she noticed someone's presence beside her. Then she recognized the scent that invaded her space.

Sasuke was standing beside her, reading a book he chose for himself. It wasn't a thick book and from what she could see it had more pictures in each pages than written text. Something about the human eye and why there are various colors.

"H-How long have you been there?", asked Sakura as she closed the thick and heavy book. She struggled to keep all four books she held to her chest.

Sasuke looked away from the page of the book to glance at her. "A while.", he answered.

"A while?", she considered "Are you and Tenten done buying the materials?"

He nodded and motioned for an aisle not far away.

...

Sakura saw Tenten as she was holding out four small manga books towards Ino who held a basket containing the materials they need in order to assemble their art project.

Ino shook her head and pushed the books away from her face. She was about to walk away from Tenten when the brunette held all books to her chest by one hand and held out her other hand to reach for the hem of Ino's shirt.

Tenten bowed to Ino repeatedly until Ino gave out a sigh of defeat. Then Tenten cheered up and dropped the books into Ino's basket.

...

"I must've been so engrossed in this book.", Sakura realized. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I called you a few times but you didn't respond. I thought I'd wait for you to look away from the book. That took longer than I expected. People were starting to give me weird looks for just staring at you so I just pulled out a book to read for myself while waiting for you to notice me." He raised the book for emphasis. "It was the only thing I can keep up with. Med books can be very disturbing to look at."

Sakura chuckled. "If you think these are disturbing, I should warn you to stay away from anything Karin might read in the future.", she advised.

"Ah." Sasuke moved to place the book back in the shelf. "Found what you were looking for?... Cardiology?"

"Oh. Uhm. Yes." Sakura shifted her gaze from Sasuke to the books she had in her hands. "These." she separated three books from the one she was just reading. She almost dropped them but Sasuke caught them and took them out of her hands.

"Thanks." Sakura smiled then made a move to return the thick book to its place in the shelf.

"You're not getting that one?", he wondered.

"No. I-" Sakura stole a glimpse at the price sticker. "Those will suffice."

Sasuke started going through the books. " 'Biomedical Engineering', 'Prosthetic Surgery' and 'Heart Prosthesis'."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm no college student but these are definitely not something you'd take up in a minor subject." he looked at Sakura. "He's getting you to work on his practice thesis now too?"

Frowning, Sakura took the books from him again. "It's just a small part of it. Sasori showed his draft to his professor. He told him that his design was good but on a medical perspective, it can't be supported. He needs my help to make it work!" she reasoned then she started walking towards Ino and Tenten, leaving Sasuke behind.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Did you find your book?", Ino asked Sakura as she joined them. "Er... Books."

"Yup." answered Sakura.

Sasuke came up behind her.

"What do you need that much book for? Are you sure you're revising only a small part of it?", Ino wondered.

Sakura timidly looked at Sasuke who just gave her a knowing look.

"I didn't want it to be vague!", Sakura explained. "It has to be believable. And if I want to convince Sasori's professor that his design is feasible, I have to give a detailed explanation on how it will work."

"O~.kay. Well, let's go pay for these." Ino motioned for the counter.

The three girls stood in line while Sasuke went to the baggage counter to claim the stuff he and Tenten bought earlier. By the time the baggage personnel handed him the items, Ino was already paying for her purchase.

…

"You bought a reviewer?" Sakura just noticed.

"Yeah. I got you one too.", said Ino.

"Really, I won't be able to pay for it though. I don't have enough money with me."

"No worries Forehead! Tenten had me pay for these sports manga. I'm just extending my generosity. Pay me back when you can... This way we can study together.", said Ino as she received her change.

"What is up with you smart people?" Tenten rolled her eyes. "All you ever think about is studying. How can you already be thinking about studying for college entrance exams with the finals coming up as well?"

"There's nothing wrong with that!"

"Anyway, you two are both aiming for... Tokyo University?" Tenten moved along with Ino to give way to Sakura.

"That's the plan." said Sakura.

Sakura realized that the person behind her was an old lady. She was with her young grandson who was starting to pester his grandmother as he was getting impatient.

"Uhm. Obaasan. You can go ahead first.", offered Sakura.

She stepped aside to give way to the elder, who was very grateful. Then she watched Ino and Tenten join Sasuke beyond the counters and gave them an apologetic look.

Ino smiled at her. "She can't help but be kind to elders. Especially grandmothers.", she informed the other two.

"A while ago, she sounded like she's not sure about college.", Tenten noted.

"That's because her parents are against it.", said Ino.

"Why?"

"They can't afford it. Her father is retired and her mother runs a bath house. That's they're only source of income. Besides, that bath house has been around for years. Her mother inherited it from her grandmother and now she wants Sakura to take over someday."

"That's understandable but… we're talking about a six digit paying job here. Did they ever think how much better off they could be if Sakura actually becomes a doctor?", wondered Tenten.

"Emphasis on 'actually'.", stressed Ino. "Somehow her mother is not confident that becoming a doctor is what Sakura really wants to be. She thinks Sakura just wants to impress Sasori. She doesn't want to spend the money they don't have on supporting Sakura with that sort of motivation."

"So that's it?"

"So they made a deal, her grandmother offered to support her using her pension but only if she's worth the money. Med school isn't cheap after all. If Sakura wants to move on to college, she has to top our graduating class. They won't settle for second place."

"That's very strict? What if she can't get first place?"

"Then she definitely has to say goodbye to the idea of going to college. The money will then be used for the renovation and expansion of the bath house.", explained Ino. "Right Sakura?", she called out to Sakura.

"Huh? Y-Yeah.", answered Sakura behind the old woman.

"No wonder she's so... studious.", Tenten realized. "But, she always has the option of getting a job and supporting herself. It will take longer but if she works hard enough, which Sakura is capable of doing, she'll eventually get through college?"

"She could and… at this rate, that's probably the only option she has left. But… I'm worried that if that's how it's going to be, she and Sasori will not be able to spend much time with each other. Med school can be hectic during year four and five. They could grow completely apart and independent of one another. … He's her motivation to go to college in the first place. What's the point if she can't be with him?"

"Oh... So Sasori-sempai really is the reason why she wants to be a doctor?"

"Yes. Well, I am actually. I sort of influenced Sakura. We're best friends so she decided we'll both be doctors after I told her I was gonna be a psychiatrist... like my father."

Ino glanced at Sasuke who had been patiently waiting for them in silence. Then she looked back at Sakura who was placing the books down on the counter.

Ino suddenly looked like she just thought of a wonderful scheme.

"But! ... It was after Sasori commended her for it that she really started wanting to become one!", Ino declared.

Sakura whipped her head towards them as she heard this. She was about to say something but the cashier gave her the total so she had to pull out some bills from her purse.

"It's all because of him, Sasori-sempai.", Ino continued. "She wants him to be proud of her, because she loves him. She wants to go to college at Tokyo U. so she could be with him. Because-"

"Okay! I get it!", Tenten cut Ino off. "Everything's for Sasori-sempai! Yay! Why are you stressing it out so much?!"

Ino cleared her throat. "Anyway, the three of us made a promise that we'll all live in Tokyo after graduation. And then..." Ino put her two index fingers together. "The two of them can finally date when she's in college-"

"Ino-pig!", Sakura interrupted her this time. "Stop talking about me and Sasori to other people!"

"Why? No need to feel embarrassed.", Ino teased Sakura who made her way to them after picking up her purchase. "Everyone knows about your mutual understanding with Sasori-'sempai'."

Sasuke made a move to exit the store then. After all, they're already done with their business there.

But somehow, Sakura felt like he was too eager to leave. "Sa-" She was about to call him but Ino held her hand.

She turned to look at Ino.

Ino had nothing to say to her. She was just smiling as she walked beside Sakura out of the establishment.

Tenten followed behind them, unaware of the fact that Sakura was anxious and Sasuke might be disappointed while Ino felt accomplished.

If Sakura didn't hold the grocery bag with her other hand, she knew exactly what she would do;

She would have held onto her braids.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	11. 3.2

**(3.2)**

**MIDNIGHT MOUTHS**

" ** _Not Sasori."_**

By the time they walked out of the store, it had already gotten dark.

Sasuke laid the purchased items on one of the benches along the walkway. Then he and Tenten started going through the materials.

"Are you bringing those home with you?", Tenten asked him. "I live pretty close to the school. I don't mind holding on to those for you. I'll just bring them to school tomorrow.", she offered.

"Can you carry all of those?", Ino wondered.

"Pssh! No biggie!", Tenten answered confidently.

"Well, if you insist.", said Sakura. "Thanks, Sasuke-kun have a roommate back at his dorm so~"

"Aa."

Tenten stared at Sasuke expectantly. "Meaning?", she asked as she glanced at Sakura.

Sakura smiled at Tenten. "He meant yes and thanks." Then she turned to Sasuke "Right, Sasuke-kun?"

"Aa." Sasuke didn't even look at her.

Sakura felt that he was suddenly acting cold towards her.

Tenten hailed a Taxi cab.

Sasuke helped her get the materials on the car.

"See you tomorrow.", bid Tenten as she got in the car.

Just as the taxi drove off, Ino's phone rang.

"Hey Shikamaru.", she greeted the caller. "Oh... Really?..."

Since Ino was busy with the call, Sakura took the opportunity to talk to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke slowly turned to look at her.

"Uhm~" she hadn't really thought that far enough. She didn't know what she was supposed to say. She only wanted to confirm that he wasn't upset with her.

**['He's not angry, is he? Why would he be angry over what Ino had said?']**

"Hey guys!", Ino called them. "Shikamaru and Choji are in a nearby Bar-b-q joint. They're inviting us to join them... Yeah, you too Sasuke.", she shared.

"I don't believe you for a second.", Sasuke told her.

Ino blinked. "You know I just realized that, that just now, were the first words you have ever said to me? And this in fact, is the very first conversation we ever had. Funny. But... it's kind of amazing."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

**/"Sasuke-kun is like an unreachable entity. I supposed it made people think that; if you were acknowledged by him, you must be someone very special."/**

"Sorry. Was that weird?", Ino smiled at him. Then she looked at Sakura with an apologetic expression. "You're not coming as well, I supposed?"

"Uh, no. I want to get as much done as soon as possible." Sakura held her grocery bag closer to her chest.

Ino turned to Sasuke again. "You're walking her to the bus stop right?"

Sasuke nodded at her then turned away. He started walking to the direction of the bus stop.

Sakura shifted her gaze from Sasuke's back to Ino who was smiling more softly at her.

Ino twirled and started walking in the other direction. "See you in school Forehead." She waved her hand back at Sakura.

As soon as Ino was walking away, Sakura turned on her heels and ran after Sasuke.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sasuke-kun!", she called to him.

He didn't slow down.

"Sasuke-kun!", she tried calling him again. She was getting mad. "If you're in such a hurry then don't bother! Just go home-"

Sasuke suddenly stopped and Sakura ended up running into his backpack.

She almost fell backwards so she tried to grab his bag in an attempt to stable herself.

At the same time however, Sasuke turned around on reflex and reached out to hold her in place.

Sakura didn't fall. She was able to move her left leg back to secure her stance because her right hand caught Sasuke's left hand.

Sasuke's right hand was stretched out, holding her by her waist. He realized that she was still bent back a little so he gently pulled her to help her straighten herself.

His actions caught her off guard and she lost her balance so in order to keep her nose from being planted on his chest, she held her hands out instead.

...

**['So this is what a boy's chest feels like.']**

Sakura knew Sasuke was a boy. But she thought of him generally as a person. It was only at that moment that she finally understood the idea of the opposite sex.

**['Come to think of it. I've never been this close to a boy before. Would Sasori's chest feel like this as well.']**

~Thump Thump~

She felt and heard Sasuke's heartbeat. Then she was aware of her own heart beating really fast.

**/"You want to be able to... touch him!"/**

Blood rushed to her head. She blushed heavily and shut her eyes so tight.

"Are you in pain?"

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She pushed herself back a little to look up at him and lost herself in his eyes.

Sasuke was carefully studying her facial expression, like he always had - as if all the answers he needed from her would be visible on her face.

A car drives by. The headlights shone on them for a moment, illuminating Sakura's blushed.

Sasuke had a good look at her vulnerable expression and then, he was suddenly more aware. His eyes widened in realization and he quickly withdrew his hand from her.

Sasuke stepped back and kneeled down to pick up the bag Sakura had dropped earlier. He dusted the dirt off of it before handing it to her without even looking at her and as soon as Sakura took it, he immediately stood up and turned around.

"You're mad after all.", murmured Sakura as he was walking away. "Is it because of what Ino said?" she forced a chuckle. "Now you know huh? Do you understand now why I told you that you made me feel like a horrible person?!"

Sasuke just kept walking further away.

**['Does he not want to talk to me about it?']**

"But you already had an idea of how unpleasant and selfish I was right from the start!", she spoke louder. "I told you, I'm a horrible person! Now you know just how ugly I truly am, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke turned around and glared at her.

"That's right... It's all for Sasori.", she admitted. "Everything I'm doing. The reason I've been working really hard! The real reason why I was motivated enough to approach you. The real reason why it's so important for me that I beat Hyuuga Neji. And the real reason why I have to convince my family to let me go to Tokyo.

**['It's not supposed to be like this. Why do I sound like I'm pleading? I'm acting like, I want him to understand?']**

It was never about me proving myself to my grandparents. I just wanted to keep my promise with Sasori! So I can be with him!"

Sasuke was about to say something but decided against it. He quickly turned around again and continued walking.

"What the-... We-", Sakura threw her hands in the air.

**['Is this how it's gonna be between us from now on?! Why won't he just talk to me? Yell at me so I can apologize and then we can act like this conversation didn't even happen.']**

"Hey!" she ran after him. "Well?! Weren't you going to say something?! What? You think I can't handle it?!", she yelled.

"What do you want from me?", he sneered as he turned on his heel without stopping. "What do you want me to say?!"

"Anything! The truth! If you're angry then tell me! Yell at me!", she continued as she moved forward.

"The truth?! The truth is I don't really know anything, apparently.", Sasuke deadpanned then he turned away again and walked on.

"That's it?! That's all you want to tell me?! That's all you're going to say?!" she tried to match his phase. "Oh yeah! I forgot! This is what you do to people who _upset_ you! You pretend like they don't exist."

Sakura suddenly spoke in a low voice, "Look at me, I'm Uchiha Sasuke! I never do anything wrong. The real problem is how other people react to the things I do. But I have no time to explain myself to anyone because no one's worth my time. They can talk dirt behind my back for all I care. I'm the better person!"

Sasuke side-glanced her then quickened his phase.

"Tck!", Sakura clucked in frustration and walked faster. "Hey?! Aren't you mad?! ... I- I forced my way into your life! ... I snuck my nose into your personal affairs! … Even though you said you sympathize with me? ... All this time, whenever I was talking about your friendship with Naruto. ... Whenever I was talking about your relationship with your family. ... Whenever I was talking about your brother."

Sasuke kept silent as he continued walking. Sakura also continued to keep up with him.

"It was all so... I can get you to... improve... your performance... in school." she was panting at this point. "Because... I wanted-"

"So what?!", he cut her off sharply.

Sakura stopped. Her breathing was uneven.

Sasuke halted as well when saw the bus stop - only a few more steps away from where they were. Unable to hold back any longer, he said what wanted to say.

"So what if you did it all for your own sake? So what if I found out? _So what_?!... SO WHAT?!", he finally yelled back at her. "Does it really matter to you what I think? Or what anyone else thinks for that matter?! If I tell you how selfish and conceited you are, would you stop?!"

Sakura gave no response.

Sasuke looked her in the eye. "What is it that you want to hear from me? That I'm disappointed at you?"

"Y-Yes!", she wouldn't let herself be intimidated by him.

"That I was a fool for trusting you? For believing that there was actually someone who cared enough to look under my skin?" Sasuke tried to dominate her by raising his voice a little.

"Yes!", she yelled, her voice cracking.

"That you're just using me?! And now I'm mad at you?! Is that it?!", he was much louder this time.

"YES!", she yelled again, her eyes tearing up.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?! That I-"

"THAT YOU HATE ME!"

After her quavering shout, Sakura sniffed.

Sasuke took a deep breath and did his best to calm down. "You know what? ... Don't take it out on me just because you're feeling guilty."

Sakura sniffed once again as she reached for her hairclips.

"That's it... right?", he said reluctantly. "You're not proud of the fact that you're romantically motivated. You're guilty for wanting to love and be love. You're guilty for wanting to be happy? But you would do anything and everything in your power so you can be, even if it means hurting or using other people.

You knew at some point you're doing something wrong. But you're not going to stop anyway, because you think you're doing it for the right reason. … Because being with this _Sasori_ , that's what's going to complete you. That's what makes you want to live this life.

You call yourself ugly and unpleasant. But do you seriously believe that about yourself? ... You only want me to think you are. You only want to give me a reason to hate you-You need to give me a reason to hate you! … _So~_ , you can pretend to be suffering as well! _So~_ , you're not the only one who's happy! _SO~_ , you can lessen your guilt and feel better about yourself!"

Sakura looked away as she was unable to face him. "Do you?!... Do you hate me now?"

"No." he shook his head. "No I don't... I can't.", he told her, matter of fact.

Sakura had to look at him again.

"Why?!", she implored, holding back her tears.

"Because honestly, I don't believe you when you said that everything you're doing is all for Sasori.", he answered.

"…"

"You… If that was the case, you wouldn't have cared about what your family would have thought of you and you would have done exactly what you thought Kakashi was asking you to do back then.", he continued. "You once told me that you can't bring yourself to run away from your home even if your parents didn't understand you. That's because you love them and you _do_ want them to understand you. You _do_ want them to be proud of you.

Everything you're doing... It's not all for Sasori.

And I don't know why it upsets me but I am! I. Am. Upset. I'm upset that you let your best friend think that. You let her believe that that's who _YOU_ are! Someone who puts this... Sasori… _at the center of your life_. But fine! That's between you and her. … But to let yourself think that?! And now, you want me to believe that?! ... You- You… You deserve so much more than you give yourself credit for."

Sakura was deeply moved and couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

**['You... If you keep this up... I'm really going to... fall in love with you']**

Sasuke moves forward and held his hand out to her. He was attempting to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

But she slaps his hand away and stepped back. "Stop it!"

**['I'm the one who has to stop.']**

"Just stop being nice to me! Why are you the one who's here with me?!"

**['Don't say anything anymore.']**

"Why isn't HE here instead of you? You're not _him_! You're not _Sasori_!"

As soon as Sakura was done yelling, a bus makes its way to the bus stop. It slowed down and passed them.

Sasuke heard the vehicle stopped, and he walked pass Sakura without saying anything.

Sakura ran to the opposite direction and towards the bus.

The both of them never looked back.

She got on the bus and dropped down to an empty seat. She sniffled as she leaned back and then harshly wiped her cheeks dry.

She was tired and she was miserable. She wished that the day would just end.

~ _We were running off our midnight mouths_

_Saying things that we don't mean_

_When you're playing in the dark_

_Well, nothing's as it seems_

_It's just the lonely, just the lonely talking_

_So don't you tell me that you're falling for me now_

_It's just the lonely, just the lonely talking_

_So don't you tell me that you're falling for me_

_We're in too deep, so let go of my hand_

_Can't you see you mess with my head just because you can_

_Come for me, you're lying through your teeth_

_Could be anyone, you just want somebody_

_You just want somebody_

_It's just the lonely, talking_

_When you're messing with hell fire_

_Angels turn to anarchy_

_I wish what you said was true_

_But it's not reality_

_It's just the lonely, just the lonely talking_

_So don't you tell me that you're falling for me now_

_It's just the lonely, just the lonely talking_

_So don't you tell me that you're falling for me_

_We're in too deep, so let go of my hand_

_Can't you see you mess with my head just because you can_

_Come for me, you're lying through your teeth_

_Could be anyone, you just want somebody_

_You just want somebody_

_It's just the lonely, talking_

_You just want somebody_

_It's just the lonely, talking_

_It's just the lonely, just the lonely talking_

_It's just the lonely, talking_

_It's just the lonely, just the lonely talking_

_We're in too deep, so let go of my hand_

_Can't you see you mess with my head just because you can_

_Come for me, you're lying through your teeth_

_Could be anyone, you just want somebody_

_You just want somebody_

_It's just the lonely, talking_

_You just want somebody_

_(MIDNIGHT MOUTHS - Lauren Aquilina)_ ~

**.**

**.**

**.**

It was twenty eight minutes past the hour of three.

Sakura's room was a mess. She didn't throw her things all over the place to vent out her frustration but she might as well have.

Her floor was littered by crumpled pieces of paper. A lot of her stuff had been shoved to the side to give way to the medical books, printouts and the copy of Sasori's practice thesis that were laid all over her bed and even her dresser.

She was by her study table that was equally filled with stacks of printouts and her newly bought books. The little space she had left to work with had her writing in an awkward position.

She stopped writing to read the only sentence she had written so far. She starts looking around the table for her eraser only to see it on the floor. She was about to pick it up but as her hand was close enough to reach it, she drew her hand back and looked back at the paper.

She just crossed out the sentence with her mechanical pencil. She skipped a line and started writing a new sentence. She was on the fifth word when she stopped and tapped the paper with her pencil.

She reached for her temples as she rested her shoulders on top of her desk. She rubbed her temples before reaching for her hairclips then she threw back her braids over her shoulders and tried to write again.

She made a mistake again. Frustrated, she eventually picked up her eraser. She started erasing too heavily that it tore the paper. She threw the eraser aside and tore off the sheet of paper from her pad, crumpled it and threw it somewhere on the floor. She picked up her pencil and tried to start over.

Nothing. She couldn't write anything. She eventually slammed down her pencil and shoved her stationeries off her table, making a loud noise. Then she leaned forward on the table.

Not long after, she heard heavy footsteps stomping towards her bedroom. Her door slammed open, revealing a furious blonde woman in her night gown.

"For crying out loud! Do you know what time it is?!", she yelled at Sakura who just remained still.

The woman's eyes took in the scene in front of her. "I thought you were sleepy so you didn't bother to eat dinner?! You've been there all along, keeping the lights on until morning! Electricity isn't cheap! Who do you think has to work all day to pay for it?!", she scolded Sakura as she walked into the room.

"You haven't even changed out of your uniform and what is it with all this mess?!" Her eyes landed on the bag from Sakura's recent purchase. The receipt was still stapled to it.

She picked it up and a new wave of anger overcame her as she read the amount she had to pay for. "You spent your entire allowance on these! I can't give you any more for this month you know that?! Why do you keep buying these books?! Are you doing this just to spite me? You know I can't afford to send you to college!"

Sakura bolted up from her chair at the mention of college. "No! Mom. You promised! You said you'd let me go! You said grandmother will pay for it if I just graduate as the top student!"

"Well are you going to? Can you really beat the Hyuuga heir?!"

"..."

"See. You don't know! You're not sure! You can't! You're not going to placed first Sakura. It's impossible."

"Yeah?! You know that so well, don't you?!", Sakura yelled back at her mother. "Everyone knows that so well. That's why that's the condition grandmother asked for?! All of this... This deal was nothing but a means for you to pacify me! You never believed in me! You never intended to support me from the very beginning!"

"You're not the only one who's having a hard time Sakura! I have my own problems. Don't you dare take your frustrations out on me, young lady! It's not my fault you're in this situation. You're the one who wants this! That deal... was between you and your grandmother. You're her problem now. She's the one you have to impress."

"Why?!", Sakura groaned. "Why can't all of you just be proud of me for what I've accomplished?! Why can't that be enough? Why do I have to be number one before I can get grandmother's approval?! Why can't you understand how important it is for me to go to college?! To become a doctor?! It's my dream!"

Sakura's father appeared behind her mother. He walks in lazily and still half asleep. "What's with all this racket?"

Sakura's mother turned to her husband, a mustached man with natural burgundy hair. "Kizashi, this daughter of yours is at it again!", She told him while pointing at Sakura.

"Mebuki" Sakura's father reached for his wife shoulders from behind her. "Calm down. We're all tired and sleepy. Let's not get into this now."

"All this enthusiasm to move to Tokyo and go to college, you're not even that passionate about being a doctor! You're just doing it to impress a boy!", her mother continued despite her father's words.

Sakura was suddenly enraged. "Get out!", she yelled and moved towards her parents to push them out of her room. "Get out of my room! You don't know anything! You don't understand me one bit!"

**['Only he knows! He's the only one who understands.']**

As soon as they were out of her room, Sakura slammed the door shut and locked it. "Leave me alone!", she yelled and leaned her back on the door.

_("Leave you alone?!")_

-her mother was even more furious as she shouted from the hallway. She started banging on her daughter's door.

_("Mebuki stop that.")_

_("Hah! You think you're good enough on your own?! Do you really think you can make it on your own?! Do you think that if you move out of this house everything would be easier for you? That you're going to be better off in Tokyo?!")_

Mebuki stopped banging on the door but went on scolding her daughter.

_("How are you going to live your college days there? Even if you're grandmother approves of this and pay for your education, how are you going to pay for everything else?!")_

Sakura stayed quiet at the other end of the door.

_("Is this boy going to support you? Or are you going to depend on Ino for the rest of your life? Damn it Sakura! Be reasonable!")_

Mebuki's voice started to crack.

_("Just how much do you want to get away from us?")_

Sakura covered her ears with her hands. "S-Shut up!", she tried to yell but her voice gave out as tears escaped her eyes.

_("Just how eager are you to get as far away from here as possible?")_

Mebuki started crying as well by then.

_("Don't cry dear.")_

-Sakura heard her father's voice.

_("Come on. Let's just go back to bed. Let's continue talking about this in the morning when we're all well rested and we've calmed down.")_

Sakura heard her parents move away from the door. She slid down to sit on the floor. She then raked her fingers into her scalp frustratingly. She felt her hair clips and forcefully pulled it out. She considered throwing it away but she didn't have the strength to let go of it. She ended up holding tighter onto it as she hugged her knees.

_("You too Sakura.")_

-Kizashi yelled from across the hallway.

_("You go to bed and get some rest too sweetie.")_

Sakura heard the door of her parents' bedroom closed. Then silence.

She lowered her head, recalling Sasuke's words

**/"... That's because you love them and you _do_ want them to understand you. You _do_ want them to be proud of you.**

**Everything you're doing... It's not all for Sasori."/**

**['Sasuke-kun's the only one who understands me... and yet I... I'm the worst! I really am the worst!']**

She let out a heavy breath and started sobbing.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The sound of an alarm breaks the silence. A narrow distance between two curtains allows a thin line of light to shine into the room.

Sakura's room was still littered with crumpled papers. The bed was still occupied by books. A hand appears from a corner of the bed feeling around for the offending item. Struggling a bit due to its limited reach, the hand eventually finds the phone.

Sakura rested her back comfortably again on the floor where she had been lying. The light from her phone screen illuminates her reddened eyes.

'Wake-up-call:USasuke'

-she read the reminder.

She turned off the alarm and placed her phone beside her head before turning to her side and going back to sleep.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura entered her bedroom fresh from her bath. She was wearing an old, worn-out plain grey t-shirt and red track shorts.

She stood in front of her mirror and continued drying her hair with a towel. Afterwards, she hanged her towel and reached for her comb. As soon as she was done combing her hair, she neatly drew back her fringes as she put on a red headband.

Her phone - that was just on top of her dresser - rang and she made a move to answer the call.

_"How are you doing Forehead? Has your fever gone down yet?"_

Sakura went to sit on the chair by her study table.

"Ino, the truth is... I'm not really sick. I lied to Kakashi-sensei when I called him last tuesday.", she admitted.

_"What? Why? Did something happen... between you and Sasuke?! He was the last person you were with Monday night?!"_

**['Seriously, this girl. I swear her intuition is spot on.']**

_"I'm sorry!I just wanted to make it clear to him that you already like someone else. I didn't intend for him to get that upset. Did he get mad? I didn't think he would. I don't think he is. Forehead?!"_

"No! That's not it.", she lied. "I'm just... taking a break from school so I can focus on helping Sasori. You know, his deadline is coming up so~" her eyes landed on her cluttered study table.

_"Eh? Is it too much for you? Want me to talk to Sasori about it?"_

"No! I can handle it! I just need to focus on it."

_"Are you sure?"_

"Yes."

_"And what about your mom? Is she okay with you skipping class?"_

"I'm not really sure it matters to her whether I skip class or not. For all I know, she would even prefer it, if I just drop out of school and start working."

_"Come on. Don't say that."_

"Speaking of school... How much have I missed?"

_"Not much, aside from some quizzes but the teachers said they'd let you take make-ups when you come back. Oh, there are a few homework."_

"I see. Did-"

**['Did Sasuke-kun come to class? Will he still come to class after everything?']**

_"Huh?"_

"D-Do you mind bringing my homework here?"

_"Oh. Actually-"_

Sakura's phone vibrated. "Hold on Ino. Someone else is calling me."

She took the phone away from her ear for a moment to check who was calling. Then she returned the phone by her ear. "It's Sasori. I have to take this."

_"Oh okay. Call me back after you talk to him okay."_

"Yeah. Bye." Sakura then answered Sasori's call. "Hello. Sasori."

_"Good evening Sakura. Are you still at school or are you on the bus?"_

"I- I'm at- I just got home."

_"Oh okay. Sorry I'm troubling you so much but, I was wondering how much you've progress on my practice thesis?"_

"Oh. I..." She started playing with the ends of her hair. "…made a lot of progress. I think I'll be done by..." Sakura checked her calendar.

The dates from the first to the eight of July have all been marked with a cross. The words 'Start of Finals' was written on the thirteenth which was a Monday and then directly below it, which was the twentieth, were the words 'Sasori's deadline'.

"...The eleventh. By Saturday."

_"I see. As expected. That's my Sakura!"_

Sakura smiled painfully.

_"So, I thought I'd give you a prize for everything you've been doing for me."_

"A prize?" Sakura gripped her hair. "Oh no! I don't dese- I don't need one. Really!"

_"Why not? I actually already thought of a good prize for you."_

"Y-You didn't have to."

_"Don't you want to know what I thought of giving you?"_

"W-What is it?"

_"You don't sound too excited. Aren't you happy about it?"_

"No. Of course I'm happy that you've thought of me. I just- Well!" Sakura tried to sound happier. "What did you think of getting me?"

_"It's a secret!"_

Sasori chuckled while Sakura rubbed her temple.

_"You'll find out soon enough though. Uhm... I gotta go. Talk to you later."_

"O-Okay."

There was a knock on Sakura's door just as Sasori ended the call.

Sakura's father slightly pushed her door open. "Sweetheart?", he announced his presence and peeked inside.

When Sakura didn't make any protest, he pushed the door fully open. He had a wide grin on his face. "There's a really handsome young man outside."

Sakura's face brightened up.

"And he's looking for y-" Her father was not able to finish what he was saying as he stepped aside to make way for Sakura who excitedly ran out of the room.

"Thanks Dad!", she yelled back to her father.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**['He's here!']**

Sakura arrived at the genkan. She carelessly stepped off of her slippers and didn't bother to put on any outdoor footwear. She eagerly reached for the door handle and turned it to open their front door.

"Sasori!", she called the boy beyond the entrance.

"Sorry.", he said. "I'm sorry I'm still not Sasori."

**.**

**.**

**.**


	12. 3.3

**(3.3)**

**XXXXXX**

" ** _Three sentences."_**

"Sa...suke...kun?"

After a brief awkward moment between them, Sakura stepped out and closed the door behind her. "What are you- How did you know where I live?" She tried to be casual.

Sasuke raised the paper bag he had with him towards her. "Homework."

"Did Kakashi-sensei sent you... to return the favor?", asked Sakura as she reached for the paper bag.

"A-Aa."

Sakura took the bag from him "I'm sorry f-" and was disoriented with how heavy it actually was. He made it look like it was so light. "I'm sorry for your trouble. I thought Ino would be the one bringing these to me.

**['So he was at school.']**

I was afraid you'd have quit school by now." Sakura surprised herself by voicing that out.

Sasuke looked like he was about to give her a rhetorical remark but he immediately closed his mouth as soon as he had opened it. He averted his eyes from her and shifted his weight from one foot to the other then placed his hands inside his pocket. He looked back at her but quickly lowered his gaze to her bare feet.

He eventually realized he was staring at her twitching toes for far too long so he lifted his head and faced her. He took a deep breath before saying, "So that's how you wear it at home."

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed and he looked away again. He seemed like he mentally punched himself for not coming up with something better to say.

When Sasuke looked at her again, she was just staring back at him in confusion.

"Your hair." he raised his chin to motion for the top of her head.

Sakura blushed and immediately covered her exposed forehead. She had just remembered that her fringes were neatly drawn back by the headband. "Oh. I'm-"

She quickly removed the headband and her hair swayed as it broke free. Then she shook her head to allow some of her hair to fall forward and frame her face. "Sorry. I'm not very comfortable with other people seeing my forehead."

Sasuke suddenly turned around.

Sakura realized that this was the third time Sasuke had swiflty moved to turn away from her. The first time was when he walked in on her shirtless in the infirmary. The second was-

The memory from that night resurfaced. They stood close to each other. His hands on her waist. Her hands on his chest. They were looking at each other. Suddenly he let her go, stepped back and looked away.

Like he did now.

Her thoughts. His actions. It was all too much for her. She blushed.

"I'll go ahead.", Sasuke excused himself and walked away without even looking at her again. "I'm glad you're not really sick."

Sakura's gaze followed Sasuke's retreating back. "Sa- Sasuke-kun. I... Get home safe...'kay." she almost whispered the last few words.

"Aa."

Sasuke walked on along the path and out through the front gate.

Sakura opened the door to get back inside and found that her father and mother had been eavesdropping the whole time.

"O... Otousan?! Okaasan?!", she called them out; the realization of having said the first words to her mother after a long time, hitting her a second later.

Sakura and Mebuki looked at each other awkwardly while Kizashi rubbed the back of his head looking very apologetic.

Mebuki shook off her discomfort and cleared her throat. "You could've at least offered him tea.", she told her.

"Yes sweetheart. Why didn't you ask him to come in? Who was he by the way? I forgot to ask for his name? He said he was your classmate."

"Yes he is."

"First boy who had the courage to come here though.", Mebuki noted. "Even your 'Sasori' still don't have the guts to show his face to us, in spite of him leading you on-"

"Ahahaha~" Kizashi forced out a laugh. "Now, now! Honey don't start again." he told his wife then turned to Sakura. "So, what was his name?

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Uchiha? Sounds familiar. Anyway, he was fairly polite. Aloof... but polite.", Kizashi remarked. "So what did he come to bring you?"

Sakura remembered the paper bag she held. "Oh. Homework."

Mebuki sighed then walked through the door that connected their residence to the bath house.

Sakura and her father watched her walk away.

"Despite what she says, she does care about your education. She's not very happy with you skipping school. Whatever it is you're doing, get it done as soon as possible so you can go back to school, okay?"

"Yes Dad."

"Oh my, I just remembered that I was in the middle of making dinner!" Kizashi frantically ran towards the kitchen.

Sakura closed the door behind her and dialed Ino's number.

"Ino! That favor I asked you. Never mind. Sasuke-kun brought my homework."

_"I know. He took it from me and said he'd bring it to you instead... since he's your partner."_

"Huh? I thought Kakashi-sensei asked him to?!"

_"Is that what he said?! Kakashi-sensei asked me. But, after class, Sasuke came up to me and insisted. Demanded, actually."_

"He did?" Sakura found herself smiling.

**['That liar.']**

_"Uh-huh. He wouldn't let me pass until I hand your homework to him. And when I gave in, he walked away with it only to come back and ask for your address. It was sort of... cute."_

**['So he really doesn't hate me?']**

She sighed.

_"Sakura."_

"Yeah?"

_"Just... remember what we talked about, okay? Remember your promise."_

"Ino. I told you-"

_"I know! I know. It's just that, I still can't shake this feeling that you like him and that he might... I think Sasuke li-"_

"He knows I love Sasori!", Sakura interjected. "We talked about... him- Sasuke and I talk about him a lot, actually. He even calls Sasori _my boyfriend_ already. He thinks we're already... so~ ", Sakura sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than Ino.

_"Sakura."_

"By the way, this is a lot of homework for being absent for only a couple of days." she changed the subject.

"Wha-... Er... There should be three handouts there. And the reviewer I bought for you. I forgot to give it to you that night."

"Just that? Why is it so heavy then?" Sakura put down the paper bag in front of her and bent over to check its contents. She found the handouts and the brown paper bag that she recognized from the book store.

"Anyway, thanks Ino."

_"No problem."_

Sakura ended the call and took out the brown paper bag that was actually the reason why it was so heavy. Sakura bit her cellphone strap to free her hand of her phone.

**['Was that reviewer this thick?']**

She studied the bag and realized that it looked too new to be the same one Ino had days ago. It was definitely from a recent purchase.

She opened it, and inside she found two books tightly pressed against one another.

**['Did she forget to take her own reviewer before giving it to Sasuke-kun?']**

She pulled out the books, tearing the bag in the process. She put down the reviewer and her eyes widened when she recognized the other book. It was the book on cardiology that Sasuke had caught her reading before.

She studied what was left of the bag and found no receipt on it. He probably tore it off but she remembered exactly how expensive that book was. She opened the book and on the first page, she found a note.

'I know you're groggy.

Hang in there.

PS: I'm not a fanboy, so no worries okay.'

***\\(-_-)/***

-she read.

Sakura closed the book and held it to her chest with one hand. She took her phone back in her other hand when she felt a smile coming along.

An impressed laughter escaped her.

Since she was holding her phone, she used the back of her hand to cover her mouth instead.

**['He gave the exact same words back to me.']**

Sakura stood still and remained silent for a few good seconds.

…

Then in one swift motion she placed the book on top of the getabako, slid her feet into slippers and stormed out of the door.

"I'm going out for a bit!", she yelled before slamming the door shut behind her.

"Sakura-chan?", Kizashi called from the kitchen behind the door.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura ran out of their yard and around the bath house. Then she broke into a dash as soon as she reached the street.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura sprinted across the neighborhood.

**['Three sentences!']**

She wheezed and panted but she kept running.

**['Three sentences and he made all my insecurities go away.']**

*pant

**['I heard it Sasuke-kun!']**

*wheeze

**['I heard it!']**

'I know you're groggy.'

**['He's seen me at my worst. BUT. He doesn't hate me!']**

'Hang in there.'

**['He's cheering me on!']**

'PS: I'm not a fanboy, so no worries okay.'

**['He's not here to replace Sasori.']**

Sakura turned left at a corner and saw Sasuke, down at the end of the street.

Sasuke stood still as he waited for a ride back to Konoha's town proper.

Despite the downward slope, Sakura accelerated to get to him and allowed herself to crash into his backpack.

This time she didn't fall backwards and she didn't let him fall forward either because she opened her arms and wrapped them around Sasuke.

Even when she was sure neither of them would fall, she refused to let him go. From simply holding onto him she shifted her hands to tightly hug him from behind - It wasn't a real hug. After all, his backpack was there to keep her body from pressing up against his.

She let her face sink into the space between his shoulder blades as she allowed her breathing to return to normal, inhaling so much of his sent in the process.

"Sa-Sakura?!"

Sasuke felt Sakura's hold get tighter.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun.", she murmured.

He tried to hold her hand. "W-What?"

"Let's be friends?"

He stopped himself from touching her and let his hands fall to his sides. "Aa."

Sakura inhaled one last time on Sasuke's back before letting him go and stepping backwards.

Sasuke turned around and caught her smiling brightly.

"You look..." he frowned. "When was the last time you had a good night sleep?"

Sakura's hands started feeling all over her face. "Is it that bad? I guess the stress is showing on my face now, huh?"

Sasuke saw the coming bus a couple of blocks away. "Come with me.", he suddenly told Sakura.

"Eh?"

"You need to take a break. Come with me."

"Oh. I- I can't."

"Are you still... wary of me?", he considered.

"No! It's just... I can't go like this." she pulled on the hem of her shirt for emphasis. She even motioned for her mismatched slippers. "I have to run back and change."

The bus pulled over, with its second door adjacent to Sasuke. "There's no time.", said Sasuke as he got on the first step up the bus. He held his hand out to her and arched his eyebrow at her.

…

**['What's with this situation?']**

"Mou~" Sakura took Sasuke's hand and he pulled her up into the bus just before it started to move forward.

" Just so you know...", Sakura whispered. "I don't have any money with me."

"I invited you. I got you covered."

Sasuke allowed Sakura to walk towards a seat first.

"So where are we going?", asked Sakura as she flopped down on the seat. Then she scooted closer to the window, letting Sasuke sit beside him.

Sasuke unstrapped his backpack before sitting down. "Somewhere you can vent out your stress.", he told her with a smirk then he adjusted himself to sit more comfortably.

Sakura smiled as she leaned back and relaxed.

Her eyes wandered down on their thighs. Her fair skin was a contrast to his black slacks. It was the first time they sat so close to one another.

Sakura lifted her gaze towards the window. Staring into their reflection, she found the chance to look at his face.

Sasuke took out his phone and called someone.

"Sakon... I need to ask a favor.", he said over the phone.

Sakura's eyes were focused on his pointed nose and down to his moving lips.

"Can you cover for me tonight?"

Sakura turned her head to look at him then.

"Thanks. I'll make it up to you."

"Is this really okay?", Sakura asked him as soon as he put away the phone.

"Aa." Sasuke noticed the phone Sakura had been holding all this time. He opened his backpack and rummaged through its contents until he found a lanyard. "Hang your phone here."

"T-thanks." Sakura accepted the green lanyard with tomato prints. She fought the urge to comment on the design and opted to just smile to herself.

**.**

**.**

**.**

'RINNEGAN'

-The large glowing letters greeted them as they got down from the bus.

Sakura found it hard not to stare at the huge establishment.

The building entourage alone was remarkable. Art pieces were gracefully incorporated all over the landscaping. Some of the foliage along the entry way was decorated with neon lights.

"You know I've never been inside of that mall before. Sasori and Ino have though.", shared Sakura.

"How come?"

"I just never had the time to. Now that I think about it, I declined every invitation Ino gave me. Whenever I leave home it's just for school, to go to the library, attend a study group or to run an errand... Anyway, have you ever been inside there Sasuke-kun?"

"Aa.", he answered.

Sakura crinkled her nose. "Something seems off. Was it always 'Rinnegan'?"

"It used to be 'Sharingan'."

"Oh yeah. That's right. They changed the name at some point.", she recalled.

Sakura took in the remarkable sight one last time. She sighed and started walking towards the less prominent commercial establishments around the vicinity.

"So, which way Sasuke-kun?"

She stopped when she realized Sasuke wasn't making any move to follow or lead her. She turned around and saw that he hasn't move an inch from where he stood. "Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke was smirking.

"Uhm?"

"It's this way." he motioned for the mall.

"You're joking right." Sakura surveyed the people walking in and out of the establishment at that hour. Then she looked back at Sasuke who only shook his head.

She was suddenly anxious. "I don't belong! I don't think the guards would let me in. What would we be even doing in there?", she blurted out.

"I don't ever recall this place implementing a strict dress code." Sasuke motioned for her to follow him. "Come on."

Sakura stepped back. "How about a stroll instead? We could go around and check-"

"I bailed on work so I can bring you here. We're going in."

"I..."

"Are you going to make me come and get you?"

"But..."

Sasuke moved towards her and reached for her hand. "Let's just go in. It's going to be fine."

"No. Wait!" Sakura struggled as Sasuke was pulling her and in an attempt to keep herself in place, she put all her weight down on her legs.

It was futile effort.

Sasuke pulled her again. "Come on."

Sakura stumbled forward a little as her big slipper couldn't stay on.

Sasuke held her hands and supported her as she hopped and skipped on one leg to keep herself from falling.

Sasuke chuckled as he used his leg to pull and kick the slipper back under Sakura. "See? Now stop struggling. How are you going to enjoy yourself if you're not comfortable with what you're wearing?"

"That's why I wasn't keen on going out like this.", she said as she stepped into her slipper.

"And that's why we need to go in. Don't worry. As I said, I got it covered." Sasuke left only his right hand holding her left hand. "Now seriously, come on!" he pulled her again and this time Sakura let him lead her towards Rinnegan.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The whole way to the entrance, Sakura had shifted from Sasuke's left side to his right. She walked along his side that allowed her to hide from the most people.

As soon as they were at the door, they were inspected by the guards. Sakura noticed how the female guard eyed her up and down.

Sakura moved forward and out of the way. She patiently waited for Sasuke who was having his backpack inspected by the other guard.

Customers, coming in and going out of the establishment gave her a judging look.

Sakura combed her hair with her fingers. Then she joined her hands in front of her and started swaying her body while she pressed her lips together.

Sasuke found himself smirking at her awkwardness and discomfort.

As soon as the guard was done expecting Sasuke's bag, he let him move onward. "The mall will be closing in a couple of hours sir."

"It's fine." A formally dressed, skinny male appeared. "Uchiha-san is a V.I.P. guest." the red haired man announced.

Both guards gawked at his introduction.

"Nagato-san.", Sasuke greeted the man.

"Hello Sasuke. It's been a while."

"Uchiha-san.", the male guard called him.

Sasuke turned to him and found the man lowering his head in a bow.

"Apologies for not recognizing an Uchiha. Please take as long as you like, Sir."

Sasuke only nodded at him before turning back to Nagato.

Sakura was gaping. Then she discovered that the female guard had also bowed to her. "Forgive me Miss. I hope I did not offend you.", she told her.

"Well then, right this way." Nagato motioned for them to follow him.

Sakura was still in the middle of thinking of a proper response to the female guard when Sasuke took her hand again and pulled her away from the entryway.

Nagato led them up to the second floor and towards a stall.

A woman with bluish black hair greeted them. She had a white floral ornament on her hair. Based on her semi-formal dress, she was not one of the sales clerks.

Nagato looked at Sakura. "Miss~"

"Oh, Sakura.", she introduced herself.

"Very well. Miss Sakura. This is Konan. She will assist you.", Nagato introduced the two of them to one another.

"This way Miss Sakura.", Konan invited her inside.

Sakura looked at Sasuke.

"Just pick whatever you like.", he told her.

"Miss Sakura?", Konan called her again.

When Sakura followed Konan she realized Sasuke was not coming with them. She saw him walking towards the atrium with Nagato.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura looked around and checked the shoes on display. She couldn't find a single pair of shoes to like.

"Uhm, don't you have sneakers or something?", she wondered.

"Miss?... A-Are the products not to your liking?"

"Oh no! They're all lovely. It's just that, none of this would match what I'm wearing."

"Oh. There's no need for concern Miss. You may just choose any from the apparels on display to change into.", said Konan. She was kind but kept everything formal.

"What? No! I-" she leaned in closer towards Konan. "I didn't bring any money with me. Sasuke-kun's going to pay for it so I can't burden him with anything more than shoes.", she whispered.

"If he's going to pay for them then you needn't worry. Whatever purchase he makes, he is entitled a very generous discount."

"R-Really?"

"Yes Ma'am. It's one of his privileges for being the owner's nephew. Although he would have more privileges if he only made his position as an Uchiha heir, official."

"Oh." Sakura was shocked. "I wasn't aware this establishment was owned by the Uchihas."

"It used to be his parents' but… after the accident; his uncle took over, hence the name-change. Uchiha Obito is currently recognized as the owner of all their properties until Sasuke is ready take over. "

"I... see." Sakura glanced through the glass panels that separated the inside of the store from where Sasuke and Nagato were.

"So, Miss?"

Sakura turned to face Konan again.

"Is there any specific type of clothing you like?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura wandered into the atrium. She now wore a red sleeveless sheer-detail collared blouse, dark green high-waist denim shorts. For her footwear, she settled for a simple pair of flat shoes. She kept the clothes she changed out of in a paper bag.

She walked by a concession stall that sells male perfumes and caught the familiar scent of Sasuke's cologne.

The sales lady smiled at her. "Would you like to buy a perfume, for your boyfriend?"

"Ah, no. Sorry. I just thought the scent was familiar."

"Your boyfriend must've been a customer here. It's quite a popular brand for men but its only available here in Rinnegan."

"I see."

"Must be nice to have a rich boyfriend." the sales lady sighed. She then cleared her throat and straightened herself when she realized that she had said that out loud.

Sakura just gave her a small smile.

The sales lady bowed to her as she walked away.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura found Sasuke right in the very center of the atrium. He was looking up into the fabulous central art piece hanging on the ceiling. It looked like a more complex design of Sasuke's 'mitsudomoe' inspired tattoo. Surrounded by expensive looking chandeliers, it was even more stunning to look at.

"Sasuke-kun?", she called him.

Sasuke looked down from the ceiling to face her.

"Uhm, Konan insisted I changed into these. I hope it's not too much for you."

"Are you okay with that?"

"This were the only clothes in that store that suited my style.", said Sakura as she started pulling her shorts down.

"Do you want to check out another store?"

"Oh no! That's not it. What I meant was, this was the most simple. Everything else was too elegant or fashionable, or whatever that's called, for me... Hehe, Too much ruffles or fringes or studs everywhere... Er... look by the way… I matched my outfit with your lanyard." she held the object hanging around her neck for emphasis.

"Aa."

"You know... I keep forgetting that you're one of the kids born with a silver spoon.", she murmured.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, you live in a dorm where you have to share a room with someone. You work at night, waiting tables. You take the bus. You wear simple clothes. And then all of a sudden... you bring me here and..." Sakura glanced at the stall she had come from.

Sasuke also glanced at the store then back at Sakura.

"I was just reminded that you're 'the' Uchiha Sasuke.", said Sakura as she looked at Sasuke again.

"And how should I take that comment?", he asked her.

"As a compliment!", she quickly answered.

"Very well." he smirked.

She smiled.

"Ready?"

Sakura nodded.

"Follow me."

**.**

**.**

**.**


	13. 3.4

**(3.4)**

**XXXXXX**

" ** _Why did I even assume that he was single all this time?"_**

Sakura was astonished. She knew that the mall would have Cinemas. It was a given that there would be a game arcade. She had assumed that that would be the place where Sasuke would bring her to vent out her stress.

What she was not expecting however, was for there to be an indoor amusement park inside Rinnegan.

Sakura gaped with amazement as her eyes feasted on the indoor roller coaster. She looked around and saw a carousel and a bumper car rink. There was also a play area for kids, complete with an inflatable slide and a ball pool.

"Wow." was all she could say.

Sasuke deposited their belongings to the baggage counter and the orange haired male - who clearly loves piercings - stationed there smiled at him. "I haven't seen you around here in a while. And I see you're on a date."

**['Date?!']**

"Oh no.", said Sakura. "This isn't-"

"She's just a friend.", Sasuke stated

"Okay then." the man smiled.

…

After a brief moment of awkward silence, Sasuke figured he needed to introduce them to each other. "Sakura, Yahiko. Yahiko, Sakura."

"Hi."

"Hello Sakura. Nice to meet you."

"Can you do me a favour and not mention this to Naruto.", Sasuke told the man.

"Why? What about Naruto?", Sakura wondered. Then she turned to Yahiko. "And Yahiko-san, you know him too?"

"Yeah. Sasuke and Naruto often hung out here ever since they were kids. It's kind of a best friend thing, I guess. But they haven't come here together in a while.", he explained. Then Yahiko pointed at Sasuke. "He's probably worried Naruto's gonna get upset at him for bringing someone else here with him."

"Hn." Sasuke nodded. "Something like that."

Yahiko chuckled. "I don't know what you're so worried about. Naruto comes here often with his other friends. I don't think he'd really mind you if come here with a girl."

"Still… can you just keep this between the three of us.", Sasuke requested.

"All right." Yahiko nodded at him then smiled at Sakura. "Anyway, enjoy!"

Sakura smiled at him as she excused herself to follow Sasuke all the way to the back. There, she discovered the paintball arena.

"Paintball?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at Sasuke. "What would you have done if I chose to wear a dress?"

"I would've gotten a good laugh out of seeing your reaction." he smirked.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The staff took custody of their phones and gave them a white jumpsuit to put on over their clothes and some safety gears.

Sasuke offered his handkerchief for Sakura to tie her hair with. After she was done tying her hair, Sasuke help put on her goggles.

The staff then gave each of them a sack filled with balloons.

"Where not using the guns?", she wondered.

"Hn. Since you have no experience with paintball and I don't want you complaining about how I beat you only because I got the upper hand. This way, you can enjoy it more."

"Hmp." Sakura pouted. "I was actually looking forward to playing paintball for the first time and I wouldn't have minded a little handicap. Now I'm disappointed. Throwing..." Sakura looked into her sack. "Paint balloons is boring."

"Boring?" Sasuke took out one of his balloons and popped it gently but firmly, by smacking it on Sakura's head.

Sakura gasped. She was surprised at the blue liquid that was now running down the sides of her face.

"Oh no you didn't?!" she glared at him. The more she wiped it off the more it stained her skin.

Sasuke made a run for it. He went inside the arena and started looking for a place to hide.

Sakura trailed after him as she was too eager to exact revenge.

Thus, began their match.

**.**

**.**

**.**

As soon as she came up to a corner, Sasuke threw some balloons at her and her white jumpsuit turned into an accidental painting of the sky.

She made a move to return fire but barely stained Sasuke's sleeve with red paint because he quickly retreated to his next hiding place.

Sakura chased after him with a continuous barrage of balloons. Out of the four she threw at him, only one made contact with his left ankle.

When she saw Sasuke armed himself with his arsenal in both hands, she quickly backtracked to the nearest artificial wall.

She started strategizing and moving along the covers before launching another attack.

After a series of exchanging fire between the two, Sakura realized that she only had a few balloons left. Sasuke, who was smart enough to use his balloons only when he was sure he would actually hit her, was at an advantage.

She knew she was not going to win against him so she decided on a suicide maneuver. If she was going down, she'd take him with her. She held as much balloons as she could to her chest and made a move to ram him, catching Sasuke off guard.

Sakura threw herself towards him, popping all the balloons she held in between them.

Sasuke fell backwards with Sakura on top of him. Both of their chests - up to the edges if their chin - were stained with red paint.

Sasuke grunted and Sakura snorted before giving out a victorious laugh.

Sasuke smirked. "Still bored?"

Sakura shook her head slowly while keeping the jovial smile on her face. She forgot to mind the fact that she was straddling his waist and holding herself up by planting her hands on his chest.

Sakura pulled out her last balloon and smacked it on Sasuke's forehead before flopping down unceremoniously beside him - a new wave of laughter overwhelming her as she lay.

Sasuke took off his goggles that were now impairing his vision due to the red paint that stained it. He lifted himself to turn to his side and ended up hovering over Sakura as he was trying to accomplish his usual task of checking if she was genuinely smiling.

He couldn't stop himself from removing Sakura's goggles and the loosened handkerchief, freeing her hair in the process.

"That's the second one I cost you.", she noted.

Sasuke had to brush aside some strands of hair away to get a clearer view of her blue-stained face.

Sakura's laughter turned to giggles as she tried to suppress it. She placed a hand over her mouth.

"You're doing it again." Sasuke moved her hand away. "If you're happy then show it."

"Why are you always checking if my smile is forced or not?", she shot back. She pressed her lips together as if it would stop it from curving upwards and when it didn't work she bit her lower lip - a sight Sasuke had the chance to have a good look at.

Sakura's goofy expression eventually softens as she was now equally observing Sasuke's face. "So, what's the verdict?"

...

Sasuke pushed himself off of her. "Real enough."

He was on his knees when he held his hand to her.

Sakura took his hand and let him help her up.

The two of them stood up at the same time still holding each other hands.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura was grinning widely - her hair and face still stained with cracked red and blue paint - as she recklessly drove the car towards the other ones.

Sasuke who was equally a mess, watched from outside the bumper car rink, as she mercilessly crashed into the cart of younger drivers.

**.**

**.**

**.**

After the fairly exhilarating but fun nonetheless ride of the roller coaster, both Sakura and Sasuke tried their best to fix their hair that was sculptured into its messy and flown away state thanks to the drying paint.

Sakura was brushing her hair back into order with her fingers to look less like she was just assaulted.

Sasuke was smoothening out the poultry animal that his hair had morphed into.

They glance at one another and ended up laughing at each other's expense.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura had just gotten out of the woman's restroom. Her hair was still wet and she was trying to wipe it dry with the t-shirt she had on earlier.

She found Sasuke standing outside the men's comfort room. His hair was also still damp from washing off the paint. He had changed into a dark blue t-shirt. He was rummaging through the contents of his backpack then pulled out a small bottle of cologne.

He maneuvered to uncap the small bottle and sprayed some cologne along his shoulders and over to his nape - all the while holding their bags.

Sakura smiled to herself at the sight of that. She folded her damp t-shirt and walked towards him.

Sasuke had returned the cap on the bottle and stuffed his cologne back inside his bag by the time Sakura was beside him.

He started putting on his backpack and handed the paper bag to Sakura.

She took the paper bag and pulled out her phone from inside it before putting her folded shirt in its place.

Sasuke waited for her to finish putting on the lanyard before asking; "Ready to go?"

"Yeah.", she told him as she was adjusting her collar.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The two of them walked slowly as they moved away from the establishment.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat first before going home?"

"No. I'm okay. I'm sure my father save some dinner for me. My mother will be furious if it ended up going to waste."

"They… seemed like… fun people."

"My parents?! I- I guess."

"Aren't you fond of them?"

"Honestly, no." Sakura sighed. "I love my parents. I really do. But I just... hate them as well. They're good people. They're good parents as far as good parenting goes. I should be happy and contented and proud of them but... I know what I know. And I feel what I feel... And every time I assess myself, I just can't deny the part of me that hates them. I just can't help it."

Sasuke looked at her. "Domestic… violence?", he reluctantly asked.

"No! It's not like that at all! They're not- … It's me! … It's just… me being… the bad daughter that I am."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows and she felt compelled to explain.

Sakura walked ahead of Sasuke. She did not want him to see the face she's making as she spoke.

"My dad was forced to an early retirement because he had a fight with his superiors. And when he lost his job as a security officer he just stayed jobless. He was fine and contented with the money my mom brings in with the bath house. Talk about irresponsible.

As for my mom, the concept of a daughter for her is a mini version of herself. Anything I said or did or wanted for myself that did not agree with the image she wanted of her daughter upsets her. She wishes for me to become more like Ino minus the wanting to be a doctor part.

When I was little, I did everything I could to make her proud of me. But she would often compare me to Ino."

Sakura quickly turned on her heel to face Sasuke.

"Don't get me wrong! I love Ino - She's my best friend. Even though she can be a bit... Well you know how we girls are. Anyway, back when we were still kids, every girl wanted to be her. It's no surprise; my mom wanted me to be like her too. But, come on, I'm me."

Sakura turned away again and hopped on to the concrete barrier. She raised her hands to balance herself and walked on from there.

"I think the real reason why I decided that I would become a doctor was because that was the only thing about Ino that she didn't like. I think I had just meant to spite her."

Sasuke fell behind.

"Then I met Sasori. He was the first person who ever praised me. He was the only one who really appreciated what I did. Since then, he was the only one I cared enough to please. He is as you said; 'what makes me want to live this life'. To me, he's like the prince who's going to take me away from my… _unhappy_ home. … But… even if I hadn't met him, I know that I will eventually walk away from my parents come the right time.", she continued.

Sakura reached the end and leaped off of the concrete barricade.

"I know I'm not the only one who disappoints their love ones. I know I'm not the only daughter who gets scolded by her mother. My family's circumstance is a lot better compared to others. There are so many more unfortunate teenagers out there with bigger problems. I know my parents love me. But, I'm a horrible person with a weak mind and a selfish heart after all.

I've just seen so much of that disappointed look. I've heard so much cruel words. Every single one of them burned in my head. Now, even when my mother is actually smiling at me, all I can see is her angry face. Even when she's telling me kind and loving words, all I can hear are the hurtful ones she had told me time and time again.

I'm at this point in my life where I'm convince that if I want to hold on to the love I feel for her... the little respect I have left for her, I'd have to go as far away from her as possible. … I think I can love her more when I can't hear her voice. And she'll love me more when she can't see me disappoint her any further than I already have. Maybe then I can finally be a good daughter."

Sakura turned to Sasuke with a smile.

"You said I wasn't doing everything for Sasori, you were right. I… was doing it all… _for me_. I… was looking for a reason to leave home. So when Ino, Sasori and I made a promise to go to Tokyo after High school, I found my way out.

You were also right when you said I was guilty. I knew I was doing it for selfish reasons but I just want to be happy, even if it means leaving my family. … But it's also true that as much as possible, I don't want to move out of the house feeling this way about my parents. About myself. I don't want to leave my home with the thought of never wanting to come back.

I really do want them to acknowledge my efforts. I really do want them to be proud of me. And I really do want them to give me their consent. Both in achieving my dream and in dating the guy I like."

Sakura blushed. She realized Sasuke had been staring at her all this time. "So-sorry! I just kept talking.", said Sakura as she looked away.

"So, what's the plan? What are you going to do now?", asked Sasuke.

"I still don't know. I'm not sure how to make a compromise. I know they're only worried about me but..."

"You want to be with… him?"

It was a question but he said it like he already knew that it was a fact.

Sakura nodded. "Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"

Sasuke placed his hands inside his pocket. "For being romantically motivated? It's not my place to judge. I'm also only driven by my emotion. I'm in the same boat myself remember?

I'm well aware that even if I accomplish my goal, it won't bring him back. It won't turn back time for us. … I completely understand why everyone thinks it will only be a waste of time. Not to mention all this trouble I'm going through right now as a result of my decision. Still..."

"I'm sorry.", Sakura murmured. "I'm sorry I'm one of those people asking you to come home. And I did it all for my sake too."

Sasuke shook his head. "You have a point though."

Sakura slowed down so she and Sasuke walked side by side again.

"It's not like the distance between me and my brother could get any further away.", he continued "Even if I miss my chance now, maybe I'll get another chance someday. At least that's what I've been thinking, these past few days."

"Eh~? So you're considering it? It's not like you have to decide right now. We still have this summer right? I'm not backing out on that deal. And you still have time to decide-"

Sakura noticed that Sasuke was arching an eyebrow at her. He had a smirk on his face though.

"Oh no. I'm doing it again aren't I?" she moved to cover her mouth as if to shut it.

"You don't really have the time to be looking out for me. Finals start on Monday. Hurry up and get whatever it is you're doing over with and come back to school. If you really want to beat Hyuuga, don't neglect your own studies."

Sakura smiled. "Hai! Thank you Sasuke-kun. For your time. For the friendship. For the book-" Then realization hit her. "Oh my go- That book isn't cheap! And you've spent quite a lot tonight. I even asked you to let me try the other rides. … Are you gonna be okay? I didn't have you spend all your allowance on me, did I? ... I'm sorry. I was just having so much fun and I-"

"If you had fun, then its money well spent. Don't worry about it. I got a discount remember."

"But still, to spend so much on me."

"It's not the first time I spent money to take a girl out-", he said way too carelessly.

Sasuke was suddenly both curious and anxious of Sakura's reaction while Sakura wanted to confirm what she had just heard him say.

They both glanced at each other and immediately looked away.

"I-" Sasuke suddenly found the back of his head itchy.

"Oh. No explanation needed." Sakura almost pronounced all the vowels in the "o" sound.

"Uh-" The ground was suddenly more interesting than anything else for Sasuke.

"Er. Just because you know about my... hehe 'love life' " Sakura's voice was pitchy. "...doesn't mean I have to know about yours~" she continued in that tone. "Ehehehe."

"R-Right."

"Uh-huh! … Sorry. I don't have many m-male friends so… I don't really know how to react to this sort of c-conversation.

"Aa."

" I-I guess boys can talk about this stuff easily huh?"

"Aa."

It was suddenly awkward. The two resumed their walk along the road in silence.

…

**['What's with this situation?!']**

…

**/"...And I see you're on a date."/**

**/"She's just a friend."/**

…

**['Come to think of it.**

Sakura remembered Yahiko, Nagato and Konan.

**...None of them seemed to be surprised that Sasuke suddenly showed up with a girl.']**

…

**/"Miss~"/**

**/"Oh. Sakura."/**

**/"Very well. Miss Sakura. This is Konan. She will assist you."/**

**/"This way Miss Sakura."/**

**/"She's just a friend."/**

**/"Okay then."/**

**/"Anyway, enjoy!"/**

…

**['And none of them bothered to ask what our relationship was.']**

Sakura glanced at Sasuke who kept his eyes on the road.

**['Why did I even assume that he was single all this time?']**

…

**/"He's Uchiha Sasuke. I bet girls outside the school still fawn over him."/**

…

**['I wonder how many girls had he taken out on real dates before. And is there someone among them he's seeing seriously. Is there some girl who's special to him right now.']**

…

**/"...your uncle's worried about you. She's worried about you..."/**

**/"Can you do me a favour and not mention this to Naruto."/**

**/"Can you keep this between the three of us."/**

…

Sakura felt a sharp pain in her chest.

...

A black mid-size luxury car drives off the road to stop just beside them.

Sakura halts a second after Sasuke who seemed to recognize the car.

The man in the driver's seat rolled down his window revealing two person inside the car. They were twins. The driver was pale and he wore a white suit while his brother was darkly tanned and wearing a black suit. The both of them bowed to Sasuke.

Sakura noticed Sasuke's mood change. The same mood Sasuke would take every time Naruto or Kakashi or sometimes even Karin, was around. He was stoic.

"Good evening Sasuke-san.", greeted the driver. "Your uncle would like to have a word with you."

They were intimidating but they seemed to show great respect for Sasuke.

"We'd be more than willing to drive her home as well.", said the other man as he glanced at Sakura.

Sakura wasn't expecting it when Sasuke nodded to them and had his hand on the small of her back. He led her towards the car.

Both man quickly opened their door and got out. The pale man was about to open the door for the backseat for Sakura when Sasuke politely gestured him to back off.

Sasuke opened the door for Sakura himself and motioned for her to get in.

"It's okay.", he assured her.

Sakura nodded and got in the car.

After Sakura was seated inside, Sasuke closed the door and went around the car.

He allowed the other man to open the door for him before joining Sakura inside the car.

The tanned man closed the door for him and adjusted his suit before getting back on his own seat.

The other man did the same. After both of them had closed their doors, he drove off.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The car stopped on the corner of the block where Sakura's house was.

The man in white met Sasuke's eyes in the mirror, awaiting his confirmation.

When Sasuke nodded, he made a move to get out of the car and open the door for Sakura. He patiently waited outside, holding the door for her.

"Thank you again for... everything-tonight, Sasuke-kun. I'll see you later."

"Aa."

"Thanks for driving me home.", Sakura told the driver as she got out of the car. She then backed away a bit.

The man in white closed the door of the backseat and went back to his seat in front. He then closed his door and Sakura couldn't see the inside of the car anymore.

The engine started and soon the car was driving off.

Sakura held her phone and started to type a message as she walked towards the bath house.

_*I hope everything's really okay. Call me when you get hom_*_

Sakura thought for a moment. Then she deleted the text and took off the lanyard. She dropped her phone inside the paper bag.

She turned left at the corner of the bath house and made her way to the small pathway leading to her residence.

"Nice outfit."

Sakura looked ahead and was surprised to see Ino who was equally surprised to see her.

"Ino? Why are you here?"

"Your mom called me. She said you haven't returned since you left to go after the boy who brought your homework. I came over after dinner and learned that you were not home yet. That was about an hour ago. You haven't been answering my calls or replying to any of my messages. I was just about to go home."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't answer your calls and I'm sorry I couldn't reply to your messages.", Sakura told the blonde girl wearing an orange t-shirt and black sweat pants. "I wasn't holding onto my phone a while ago. I thought I'd call you back as soon as I get home."

Ino moved closer towards Sakura and took a whiff. "You smell like air freshener and men's cologne... And why is your hair damp?" Ino's face suddenly went red and then white with shock and realization. "Oh my go- You didn't!"

"Didn't what?", Sakura wondered.

Ino grabbed Sakura's forearm. "Y-Y-You came from that place!"

"That place?"

"You went to a love hotel with Uchiha Sasuke?!", she screeched.

"No!" Sakura covered Ino's mouth with her free hand. "What?! No! We were at the mall! And then some men, who I think works for his uncle, drove me home by car! Hence the strong scent of male cologne."

"Zhuh Mmwl-" Ino pulled Sakura's hand away. "The mall? Then... why is your hair-?"

"I had to wash the dried paint out of it."

"Paint?! What were you doing? What happened at the mall?"

"Sasuke took me to experience paintball. Well, we only ended up throwing paint balloons... He said it would help me vent out my stress and I think it worked."

"Paintball? In a mall?... HWUAH?! He brought you to _Rinnegan_?! Then that outfit?"

"I wasn't comfortable with what I was wearing so he... offered. We only talked about shoes... actually... but the woman insisted I changed into these. Probably didn't want me to offend or desecrate their product by pairing it with track shorts. Or maybe she was just trying to sell an outfit... but Sasuke-kun paid for it anyway."

Ino was gaping.

"Ino?"

She closed her mouth and started doing some sort of mental math. "So, ugh… Uchiha Sasuke took you to the mall owned by his family, … bought you clothes and … had his uncle's men drive you home?" Everything seemed too much for Ino to handle. "Are you two… dating?!"

"No! We- Ino, Sasuke-kun has a girlfriend!", Sakura declared. She walked passed Ino and quickly made her way towards the gate.

"He has a girlfriend?" Ino turned and followed her. "He told you that?"

"Not directlty. But he hinted and it was sort of obvious.", said Sakura maintaining her phase.

"How obvious?" Ino walked faster to catch up to her then matched her phase as soon as she was by her side.

"I felt guilty for having him pay for... the clothes and everything else and he sort of slipped and told me it's not the first time he took a girl out! He also asked one of the staff in the mall, who also knew Naruto, not to tell him that he brought me there and I think, it's because, and I remember, Naruto once mention this, he knows a girl that might be someone who is important to Sasuke!... Whooh! Shanaroo!" Sakura exhaled hard. She tired herself out with that long answer.

Ino took everything in. "So you're not dating? Sasuke is not making a move on you?" Ino followed behind Sakura as she walked through the gate.

"Making a move on me?!" Sakura gave her a sarcastic chuckle. "Sasuke-kun is in fact, cheering me on. He practically _ships_ me with Sasori!"

"He does?" Ino slowed down.

"No. That was an exaggeration." Sakura admitted. "But he really does cheer me on. He even gave me tips so I can spend more time with Sasori."

"Really?"

"Yes!" Sakura stopped in front of her door. She glanced at Ino. "Why is this concerning you so much Ino? Do you still... like Sasuke-kun?"

"No! That's not it!", Ino retorted. "It's just that... Okay. I'm gonna be completely honest with you."

"Why? Have you been- What have you been not honest about all this time?"

"Sasori has been contacting me."

"What? _Why_?!" Sakura dropped the paper bag and turned to face Ino.

"He"s been… asking about _you_. He's been wondering why you seemed to have- well, changed. He thinks something is different about you."

Sakura backed away from the door, reaching for her hair.

"And I agree. I see the change. You are different.", Ino added.

"Why would he- Why didn't he talk to me about it personally?!"

"I asked him that too!"

Sakura sat down on the landing of the porch.

Ino joined her. "And he said, that every time he calls you, it's like there are things you're suddenly expecting to hear from him. Like you're not even happy just to hear his voice. He was afraid to ask you if you were just lonely or upset with him because... he wouldn't know what to do or how to comfort you if you were. He's so far away after all."

"Oh no. What have I been done? What have I been doing?"

"I'm sorry if I assumed that it had something to do with Sasuke... but now I know that there's nothing going on between the two of you."

"Ino." Sakura turned to face her.

"I was just worried that's all. I care about you and Sasori. I didn't know what I would do if you had fallen in love with Sasuke! I mean... I'd want to cheer you on as your best friend, but how will I do that knowing you'd end up hurting Sasori."

Sakura lowered her head in guilt.

"Forehead." Ino held Sakura's hands. "I'm right here. If you're starting to feel lonely, you can talk to me. You know that.", she comforted her.

Sakura smiled back at her. "Yeah I know that Ino-pig! I'm glad you're my best friend."

**.**

**.**

**.**


	14. 3.5

**(3.5)**

**ECHOES**

" ** _These cold hands…"_**

Sakura woke up to the sound of her alarm. With half-lidded eyes she began feeling for her phone under her side of the pillow. She pulled it out and the sound that was being muffled by the pillow got louder and clearer.

A hand suddenly smacked Sakura on the face.

Now fully awake, Sakura rolled out of the bed and glared at her attacker.

"Five more minutes.", Ino mumbled in her half sleep state. She turned around and pulled the blanket over her head.

'Wake-up-call:USasuke'

-she read the reminder.

Sakura turned off her alarm and glanced at her study table and saw the book Sasuke had given her on top of the stack of books.

Smiling, she dialed his number and held the phone to her ear.

After a few rings, Sasuke picked up. "Hn... I'm up! Okay. I'm up.", he said obviously disoriented.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun!", she beamed.

Sasuke and Ino groaned at the same time.

Sakura covered her mouth with her free hand then she slowly and quietly made her way to the balcony. She closed the sliding door behind her as soon as she was out. "Sasuke-kun? Still there?"

"Aa.", he still sounded tired.

"So is everything okay? Did you talk to your uncle?"

"Aa."

"How did it go?"

She heard him sigh heavily. "It went as usual. I got an earful. Then he let me go, eventually."

"Oh."

"Are you coming to school today?", he suddenly asked.

"No. I want to finish Sasori's- … I can't come today."

"…"

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Aa."

"That project? I know I left you to work on it on your own. And… I really hate that I have to ask you this. … This is really embarrassing but… I-"

**['No. I can't. This is wrong.']**

"Sorry! That was selfish of me. Never mind. I'd understand if I won't get graded. I'll just talk to the teacher and ask for-"

"I'll take care of it. Just finish what you have to do."

"Sasuke-kun? … Thanks but… really… it's okay. You worked on it alone so, I can't-"

"No. It's not. It has to be presented up front and I don't plan on going up on that podium."

"Sasuke-kun."

"That damn thesis; finish it. Then be here tomorrow for the presentation or I'm not going to submit it at all."

"Eh?! Come on, don't say that. Don't let your efforts go to waste."

"You don't even know if I actually worked on it."

"I know you did. Because Sasuke-kun, you're not a delinquent."

"…"

"Still there?"

"Come to school tomorrow."

"Uhm~?"

"Come and see what I made. We'll submit it together."

"Y-yeah. Thank you Sasuke-kun."

~Beep~

Sakura went back inside her room with a cheerful mood.

"Oi! Ino-pig! You're going to be late! Hurry up and get out of here so I can start working on Sasori's practice thesis!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Ta-da~", Sakura sang as she greeted Sasuke, upon his entry to the classroom - her actions getting a lot of attention from the other students.

"As we agreed upon, I am here for the presentation."

Sasuke nodded then made his way to his seat.

"Oh. I just remembered."

Sakura went through her things and pulled out a folder. Then she moved towards Sasuke who had just sat down on his seat.

"I'm done! The book you got me was actually very helpful. The explanation on blood circulation gave me an idea and I found a way to make Sasori's design more feasible."

Sasuke rested his left elbow on the side of his desk that was not occupied by the folder and Sakura's hands. Then he leaned his cheek on his left hand.

"I was able to pinpoint the reason why his design could not work with any existing medical procedures. Now all he has to do is make the necessary adjustment and he's done.", Sakura added.

Sasuke's eyes wandered from Sakura to Ami's group who were stealing mean glances at them.

"Anyway before I send Sasori an e-mail, I thought I'd ask Nurse Rin to take a look at it. I wanted her opinion on whether I was able to write a convincing piece. But I have no way to know when she's around or not busy so I thought I'd ask Karin to hold onto it and hand it to Nurse Rin when they see each other."

"I can hand this to her during lunch for you?", Sasuke offered. "You have to report to the faculty for your make-up quiz right?"

"Ho~ Sasuke knows the drill so well.", she joked. "Well, if it's not any trouble?"

"Hn."

"Okay. Thank you." Sakura straightened herself. "So, show me what you've got so far for the presentation."

**.**

**.**

**.**

"I'm so hungry!", Tenten announced as she stepped out of the classroom followed by Ino. The rest of the female students also made their way into the hallway.

Both girls stepped aside to give way to the students that were now moving along the hallway - Girls move towards the stairwell while boys came out of the room carrying models made from cardboards.

"What's taking Sakura so long?" Tenten wondered.

Ino pointed at the door as soon as she saw Sakura coming out of the room. "Oh. Here she comes-"

Sakura came out of the room, pulling Sasuke's arm carefully so he wouldn't drop the magnificent sculpture that he had built from cardboards.

It was fairly huge and looked like a skeleton warrior. Its chest area was a hollow chamber to allow an item to be placed inside. The item that Sasuke chose to put there; representing its heart, was a small cherry blossom tree, also built from paper and cardboard. The pink construction paper - which the petals of the cherry blossom tree was made of - seemed to shine in contrast to the bluish black paint Sasuke had applied to the rest of masterpiece.

"Haruno!", Iruka called from inside the room.

Sakura stopped and look back into the room through the window. She saw the teacher with the other male students.

Shikamaru looked troubled with the task of carrying his model - a miniature shadow puppet theater that featured a story about a deer and a weasle.

He almost dropped it but Choji came to his aid. Choji's partner, the boy who's always wearing sunglasses, offered to carry their sculpture - a plant that was swarmed by butterflies and other bugs - on his own so Choji could help Shikamaru instead.

Naruto wasn't far away with his nine-tailed priestess sculpture - or at least that's what it was supposed to be had it not been deformed at some areas.

Lee walked pass them while proudly raising his art piece that depicted three human figures - two of them represented a master and student while the third look like it was unfinished or rushed to completion. It was hard to tell if it was supposed to be a man or a woman but it was meant to have long hair.

Neji followed behind Lee with a gloomy presence.

Iruka, without looking away from Sakura, handed him a sculpture of a pig that was pierced and stabbed by multiple weapons.

"I told the boys to bring these to the exhibit room! Where are you taking Uchiha with your presentation?"

Sakura stepped in front of Sasuke. "No! Susanoo is our baby! You can't take him away from us!"

"Baby?!", Tenten murmured.

"And she even named it." Ino palmed her face.

Iruka sent the other boys off as he joined them in the hallway. "If you don't submit that, I won't grade you!"

"But!" Sakura glanced at Sasuke and looked back at Iruka. "But it so beautiful! Sasuke-kun worked really hard on it!" she could just sob any moment.

"And I will grade your group according to your efforts. But you will have to submit that." He motioned for Sasuke to join the other boys making their way to the exhibit room. "Take it away Uchiha."

"No-"

Ino and Tenten suddenly grabbed Sakura by her arms.

"Susanoo!", yelled Sakura as she was being dragged away by the two girls. "My baby! Sasuke-kun! Don't take our baby away!"

"Enough Forehead!", Ino silenced her. "Let's get some food into you. You only have a few minutes for your lunch break since you have to report to the faculty room."

**.**

**.**

**.**

-After school-

Sakura patiently waited by the school gates.

A few moments later, Sasuke showed up.

"Here." he handed back the folder from earlier.

"Thanks." Sakura took it. "So what did Karin say? How did Nurse Rin find it?" she braised herself for negative comments.

Sasuke placed his hands in his pocket. "She said it was pretty good. According to... the nurse, it's as if it was written by an actual medical student. You have a good understanding of the medical field despite your lack of formal education and actual experience."

Sakura held the folder to her chest and smiled. "Really? I'm glad. Sasori will definitely praise me for this.", she said happily. "Thank you Sasuke-kun. Thank you so much. It's because you got me the book and because you helped me relaxed that my mind got refreshed. And also, thanks again for taking this to Karin for me."

"Hold on." Sasuke showed Sakura his palm. "I don't want your thanks."

"Huh?"

"I want to ask for a favor in return."

"W-What favor?"

"Since you're done with Sasori's 'practice thesis', can you help me with my review?"

"Huh?", Sakura tilted her head a little to the right. "Come again?", she said with a smile.

"Can you-" Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. He knows she heard him the first time.

Sakura smiled at him, expectantly.

"Study with me? Tomorrow? Even if it's just for a few hours. Or could I just- Do you mind if I call you tonight to ask whatever, about any of the lessons?", he just told her, straightforward.

"Oh. Of course!", Sakura's smile grew wider. "I'm glad you're really taking your studies seriously. Sure you can call me anytime. And, yeah. Let's meat at the library tomorrow."

"Aa." Sasuke nodded.

Then, Ino made her way out of the gate accompanied by Temari, Shikamaru and Chouji. "See you around Forehead!" Ino waved at her as she moved along with her group.

"Yeah! Later!" Sakura waved back at her. Then placed the folder inside her bag.

"You're not walking home together?", Sasuke wondered.

"No.", answered Sakura as she started walking. "They're going to do a group study session."

Sasuke walked alongside her. "You're not joining them?"

"It's kind of their trio thing."

Sasuke turned to glance at the group walking in the opposite direction. "The Sabaku girl is tagging along with them.", he said as he returned his gaze upfront.

"She and Shikamaru started officially dating so, I guess they're a package now."

"Why don't you join them as Yamanaka's... plus one?"

Sakura chuckled at Sasuke's vocabulary. "Nah. I'll just feel out of place. Shikamaru and Chouji are common friends but were not really that close."

"So, you're only really close to Ino? Just her?"

"For the longest time, I guess. But now I have you too. Right?"

"Aa."

"Besides, you and I are gonna have our own group study- You know what? Why don't we have one now?" She reached for Sasuke's hand. "Sasuke-kun, let's go somewhere to study!"

She didn't wait for him to respond as he started pulling him towards the overpass.

"Want to go to the library now?"

"Uh, it will probably close soon."

"You're right. Where else can we go?"

...

"Sakura."

"Hm?"

...

"Sakura."

"Yeah?"

...

"Sakura."

"Hold on. I'm thinking."

...

They made it across and were already in front of the convenience store when realization dawned on her face.

She quickly let go of him. "Oops! Sorry! I didn't mean to drag you."

Sasuke shrugged. "Er... I'm used to it- ...by now, I guess."

"..."

Sakura chuckled awkwardly. "Y-Yeah. And it wouldn't be the first time a girl handled you right?!"

**['Uh-oh.']**

"Huh?" Sasuke was obviously not expecting that remark.

"No. Well. I mean- You're Uchiha Sasuke!

**['Where am I going with this?']**

"Girls throw themselves at you!", she laughed sheepishly.

**['Oh my go- Shut up already!']**

"Sakura?"

"Not that it's my business how many girls touched you before! Or how many you've touched for that matter!"

"I-"

"But as a friend! I think I have the right to tell you not to lead Karin on if you're already serious about someone. A girl's heart is fragile you know. You shouldn't take advantage of a girl just because she's in love with you!

**['I've crossed the line!']**

"Oh. No. No. No. I don't mean to say that you're that type of guy... You wouldn't take a girl just because she offered herself to you... Would you?! ... No! I mean I'm sure you wouldn't! At least you don't look like you would. You look like you're still a virgin! I'm not saying that you 'are' a vigin. Not that there's anything wrong with you being one but- Uh! Urgh, Oh my go- Please don't get offended! ... I-I didn't mean to offend you! Of course you're not a virgin! You're Uchiha Sasuke! And I should really stop talking because your sex life is none of my business."

Sakura's hands were already on her mouth. She should've just stayed quiet but no, she wasn't done yet. "I can't believe i just said 'sex life'! Forget that! I can't believe I called you a 'virgin'!"

The entire time Sakura was talking, Sasuke's face shifted from flushed to cocky and then to amused. He was mentally noting, which statement to affirm or deny or to keep completely censored from her. But it was hard to keep up with everything she had said. By the time she was done talking, he could only closed his slightly agape mouth.

He licked his lips, straightened his back and placed his hands in his pocket.

He stared at the miserably embarrassed girl in front of him. He opened his mouth and was about to say something when a motorcycle caught both their attention.

The motorcycle had been driving by smoothly at first but the driver was suddenly distracted and made an abrupt stop just pass them.

He seemed to be originally headed to the school but now there he is, trying to move the motorcycle from its awkward position in the road.

The driver backed up the motorcycle with the help of his leg then turned it around and slowly drove towards them.

"Sakura!"

Sakura recognized the rider's voice.

The man - wearing a black motorcycle jacket over a red shirt, skinny jeans and a pair of jordan shoes - finally turned off the engine. He removed his helmet, revealing his handsome face. He had ginger hair and russet eyes.

"Hey!", he greeted Sakura with a charming smile. "Oh and... Surprise! I guess."

"Sa...Sasori!" Sakura was suddenly overly happy. Sasuke can confirm that.

As soon as Sasori got off his bike, Sakura helped herself to a hug.

"Whoah!" Sasori was surprised at the sudden contact. The smile on his face never fading, he put his free hand around Sakura's shoulder. "This feels nice."

Sasori gave her a second before gently pushing her off him. "But we have a deal. If you keep this up, I'm gonna have a hard time keeping my word."

Sakura settled for his hand on her head. "Sorry. I just missed you so much!"

"So, who's this?" Sasori turned to Sasuke, still smiling.

"Oh! Sasori, this is Sasuke. Sasuke-kun, Sasori." she introduced them to each other.

"Sasuke... 'kun'?" Sasori stressed. He kept his smile regardless and offered his hand to Sasuke.

Sasuke reluctantly took it. "Hn."

He glanced at Sakura - his action very noticeable to Sasori - and confirmed the genuine smile on her face. Then he looked back to Sasori "I've heard so much about you.", he said as he loosened up and shook Sasori's hand in a more friendly manner.

"Oh really?" It was Sasori's turn to glance at Sakura. "I'm sorry I can't say the same about you."

The two equally tall male drew their hands back.

"You two are~" Sasori aimed the question at Sakura.

"Friends." / "Partners."

Sakura and Sasori both looked at Sasuke.

"...Kakashi... sensei's~"

"Oh. The 'pairing'.", Sasori recalled. "Kakashi-sensei is still implementing that I see. Anyway! ... I'm not... interrupting something here am I?"

Sakura was about to answer, when Sasuke beat her to it. "No. I was about to head home."

Sakura looked at him.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her and motioned his eyes towards Sasori.

Sakura smiled at him gratefully.

"I'll go ahead.", Sasuke excused himself.

"See you later Sasuke-kun! And just call me whenever you have a question, like we talked about.", bid Sakura as he walked away, not noticing how Sasori shifted from his position at the mention of the suffix.

Sakura then turned to Sasori "When did you come home?"

"This morning but I'll be going back to Tokyo tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"I'll be back during the break."

"Really?"

"Yes. So, want to get something to eat before I drive you home?"

"Sure."

Sasori had Sakura hold his helmet while he retrieves the spare from his motorcycle compartment.

He helped Sakura put it on then got on his motorcycle before taking his helmet back from Sakura.

He put on his helmet then turned the key and started the engine. Sasori kicked back the side stand before offering his hand to help Sakura get on the motorcycle.

With a smile, she took it-

**['They're cold.']**

"Something the matter?", Sasori wondered.

"Oh it's nothing.", she told him and allowed him to help her get on his motorcycle. Sakura rested her hands on Sasori's shoulder as soon as she was set.

**['His hand was cold. Unlike Sasuke-kun's.']**

"Ready?", Sasori asked her.

Sakura nodded.

**['But these cold hands are the ones I'm entitled to hold.']**

~ _Hands down, caught in the middle_

_You knew I was waiting for the light_

_But the days got dark for a little_

_And they can't see that you're trouble_

_You said you could change like fire to the rain_

_But the days stayed dark for a little_

_I cut my teeth on the words you speak_

_Getting lost in the echoes_

_And your young years cover up my ears_

_Getting lost in the echoes_

_Cause you built love inside a vacant home_

_You put my hand in yours_

_But I was never yours to hold_

_You knew my fears would always keep me here_

_You put my hand in yours_

_But I was never yours to hold_

_I was never yours to hold, no_

_I was never yours to hold, no_

_Head high, losing the battle_

_Cover up your own tracks and take it back_

_But your days got dark for a little_

_Found me foolish and fickle_

_Never change my mind, just gave up on a time_

_When the days got dark for a little_

_I cut my teeth on the words you speak_

_Getting lost in the echoes_

_And your young years cover up my ears_

_Getting lost in the echoes_

_Cause you built love inside a vacant home_

_You put my hand in yours_

_But I was never yours to hold_

_You knew my fears would always keep me here_

_You put my hand in yours_

_But I was never yours to hold_

_Never gonna give you hope_

_Never gonna let you go_

_Never gonna feel you in my bones_

_Cause I was never yours to hold_

_Never gonna lose control_

_Never gonna be the heart you stole_

_I'll be burning bright out on my own_

_Cause I was never yours to hold_

_I was never yours to hold_

_Cause you built love inside a vacant home_

_You put my hand in yours_

_But I was never yours to hold_

_You knew my fears would always keep me here_

_You put my hand in yours_

_But I was never yours to hold_

_I was never yours to hold, no_

_I was never yours to hold, no_

_(ECHOES - Lauren Aquilina)_ ~

Sasori drove off.

* * *

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

The car comes to a stop.

Shikamaru turns the engine off.

"Are you sure you're going to spend the night at Ino's? Won't you be more comfortable back at your own house?", asked Shikamaru as Ino and Sai, who was seated at the back, made their move to get out of the car.

"Yes." Sakura opens the car door. "No one's home anyway. My parents are visiting my grandmother in the countryside.", explained Sakura before getting out.

"Here is fine! Sakura can crash at my house just like old times." Ino appeared beside Shikamaru.

"Although she will have to settle for the couch tonight.", Sai implied.

He was at the back, taking out Sakura's luggage from the car compartment.

Ino blushed and Sakura laughed.

"Thanks for driving us Shikamaru. Oh and... Good luck by the way! I heard you will be asking Temari's brothers for her hand in marriage soon.", Sakura told him.

Shikamaru glared at Ino who didn't look the slightest bit guilty. "Is there anyone at all you haven't shared that information with?"

Sakura took in her surroundings. She looked behind her at the toy store owned by Shikamaru's parents. She then turned back to her friends.

She saw Ino ran to Sai to give him a strong whack in the arm while Shikamaru got out of his car.

The street lights turned on as Sakura walked around the car ready to cross the street.

In front of her is the flower shop owned by Ino's family across the street.

She follows behind Ino and Sai as they walked towards the flower shop.

Halfway across, a black car drives by behind her, obstructing her from view.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_Noir_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_TBC_ **


	15. 4.1

**(4.1)**

**XXXXXX**

" ** _Will I be able to keep my promise to him?"_**

**_Noir_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

The light bulb turns on as the refrigerator door opens.

A woman with rose gold hair and green eyes leans forward as she eyed the contents of the refrigerator. She reached for a can of beer before pulling herself away and closing the refrigerator door.

Sakura opens the can and helped herself to a few generous gulps.

She then made her way to the living room - wearing a light blue tank top and white pajama shorts - one hand on the can and one hand on the towel she was using to dry her hair.

She lets the towel hang on her shoulder as she joined Ino and Sai on the living room.

"The bath is free.", she announced as she sat down on the couch beside Ino.

"Okay.", Ino acknowledge her then turned to Sai who was sitting on her other side. "You want to go first?"

"Yeah sure." Sai handed Ino the remote control and stood up. She smiled at Sakura before he left the two girls alone in the living room.

Sakura drank from her beer can again. "Want one?", she offered.

Ino wrinkled her nose. "Nah. You know I don't drink the night before a day I need to be up early."

Sakura drank a few more gulps from the can before setting it down on the coffee table.

The two girls tuned in on the program.

…

Ino lowered the volume of the television. "So, are you sure that's what you're going to give them for a present?"

"Yeah. Why not? Your present is intended to please the bride so mine's intended to please the groom."

"Well, you do know him well enough to know what he likes after all." Ino shrugged.

Sakura nodded.

They turned their attention back to the television.

"Forehead." Ino spoke again after few moments.

"Hm?"

"Whatever happens tomorrow, I hope you can be totally honest with yourself."

"..."

"Fight for your happiness Sakura."

"I..."

A man that looks like Ino suddenly walked into the living room and made his way towards the door. "Ino.", he called.

"Dad?" Ino turned her head to look at him.

"I'm going to the hospital."

"What time will you get back?" Ino stood up and walked towards his father.

"I'm staying there for the night. There are some case files I wanted to review and you know I'm not allowed to take those out of the hospital.", he told Ino as he put on his coat.

"Okay."

"Your mom said she will head straight to the venue, from the flower farm. She will leave for the Uzumaki ancestral house early as dawn. If you want to help your mother set up for the wedding, you have to be there early as well."

"Got it." Ino gave her father a goodbye kiss. "Don't work too hard."

"Okay. Don't stay up too late."

"We won't."

Mr. Yamanaka raised an eyebrow at her. "Seriously. Don't stay up too late."

"Dad! We're not kids anymore."

"Okay." He patted her daughter on the head then turned to Sakura.

"Sakura."

"Uncle."

"Don't drink too much. Be strong okay? Don't do something you'll regret. Don't let love pass you by."

"Y-Yeah... Okay. Thanks... I guess."

The man nodded.

"And Sai!" he turned to Sai who just came back from his bath.

"Sir." Sai walked in, wiping his hair dry with his towel. He wore a plain black t-shirt and equally black sweat pants.

"You're the man of the house for tonight. You keep my little girls safe okay."

"Yes Sir." He smiled at the man.

"Well. I'm off!"

Ino trailed after her father, as he stepped out of the house, to walk him to his car.

"So, Ino's father works at the local hospital. Why didn't she?" Sai joined Sakura on the living room.

"Huh? Oh!" Sakura realized that Sai's question was directed at her. "Ino... She didn't want to work in an environment where people would see her as the shadow of her father. She wanted to show everyone that she could also be great."

"I see. That's very admirable of her."

"Yes. She is amazing."

"So why didn't you?"

Sakura blinked.

"Why did you decide to work at Senju Hospital in Tokyo?"

**/"... at Senju Hospital..."/**

A faint memory of a woman flashed in Sakura's mind. She blinked again.

**/"Don't blink…"/**

**/"Why did you do it?"/**

**/"Sasuke-kun had asked me even before** … **"/**

**/"He did?"/**

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

"Sasuke-kun did what?", asked Sakura.

"Sasuke did it!", Ino beamed.

"Ino! What?! What did Sasuke-kun do?!"

"Whatever it is you wanted him to do that everyone didn't think he could do but he DID IT! He did what he had to do and now you can do it! It's gonna be you!", Ino squeaked.

Sakura crinkled her forehead and began rubbing her temple. "Seriously, what are you trying to tell me? You're not making any sense! It sounds like it's supposed to be good news but-"

"FOREHEAD!", Ino interrupted her. "He did it! I'm not sure how Sasuke pulled it off but he got eight place. Do you know what this means? You have a chance to beat Neji!"

"Wh- Really?"

Ino nodded. "Everyone's talking about it. They finally posted the results of the finals on the bulletin board."

"They did?"

"Yes! Maybe Sasuke's the reason why they posted it too late. You think, maybe the teachers were a little bit surprised that Sasuke got good scores that they postponed it to recheck his exams? Maybe they even had him take it again."

"That's a bit- Anyway, come with me! I want to take a look." Sakura stood up from her chair.

After picking up their things, the two girls left the almost empty classroom.

' **SUMMER BREAK** '

-was written on the board.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Ino made their way to the bulletin board hanging on the wall between the faculty room and the principal's office. Sakura was delighted after confirming that Sasuke was in fact in eight place. Then she realized that she and Neji were tied on first place.

"I- I tied Neji on first place!", She realized.

"Ta-da~"

"You're so sly! You mentioned Sasuke-kun to distract me. To keep me from checking my own ranking first."

"Congratulations~!", Ino sang.

"Ino! I did it!"

"Yes! You did!"

"Ino-pig!"

"Forehead!"

The two girls giggled cheerfully as they jumped for joy together while holding each other's hands.

"Tck." The girl named Ami clucked as she passed Sakura and Ino with her group.

"Rude much!", Ino sneered.

The group did nothing more and just went on their way.

"What's their problem?!", Ino blurted.

"Forget them Ino.", said Sakura. "Let's not let those girls ruin our mood."

Among the crowd that formed around the board, Sakura recognized two boys from their class. Neji and Lee.

Lee glanced at her and they're eyes meet.

Sakura smiled at him but tears formed in Lee's eyes.

He bowed to her then quickly ran off leaving Neji behind.

"Eh? Lee?" Sakura was confused by his action. "What... happened to him?"

"He's still upset about seeing you get on that motorcycle.", explained Neji as he walked towards them.

"That afternoon, with Sasori?", recalled Ino. "He saw that, huh?"

"All this time he thought you were just playing hard to get and made up this guy that you said you like.", said Neji.

"What?!", Sakura spat.

"For a while he led himself to believe that Uchiha was his rival for your love. Now he recognized his errors and it rendered himself unable to face you out of embarrassment and due to his broken heart."

"Seriously that guy!", Sakura sighed.

"Anyway." Neji held his hand to Sakura. "Congratulations."

"Oh... T-Thank you." Sakura took his hand and shook it.

"I've always admired your hard work and perseverance."

The two of them drew their hands back.

"But my achievements are nothing compared to yours."

Neji shook his head. "I've been tutored since I was young. I've had the liberty to take up advance classes and I'm even attending cram school. You on the other hand... I have heard that on top of this... you've been helping a Biomedical Engineering student of Tokyo University with his practice thesis."

"That's... I mean... this is the only time I've ever tied you in first place."

"Yes. But with this result, you'll definitely have the lead over me. We still have that extra point that will be awarded to us based on the pairing system."

"Oh. But, I'm pretty sure that without it... the results would've been the same as the previous ones. And at the end of the day, it's still all because of Sasuke-kun's efforts."

"Indeed, Uchiha has done his part but you played a major role in his performance. No one can ever deny that. ... Regardless of how the grading system works, I believe that you do deserve to be the number one."

Sakura was moved.

**['Right... All this time... I was the only one who saw him as a rival. I was the only one who was competing for first place. All this time, he had just been doing his best.']**

"Let's do our best again in the next term. Yamanaka as well."

"Yeah." / "Thanks."

Sakura and Ino smiled at him.

Neji nodded and excused himself then.

The door of the faculty office suddenly opened and Kakashi came out.

The students around the area bowed and greeted him.

"Kakashi-sensei~ See you next term."

Kakashi nodded at the students. "Ah. Enjoy your vacation."

As Sakura and Ino leaves, Sakura glanced back at Kakashi.

Kakashi glanced at the posted results then turned to Sakura. They looked at each other briefly before he went on his way as well.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura ran towards Sasuke as soon as she saw him up ahead, staring into his shoe locker.

She threw herself over his shoulders to hug him from behind. And since he was tall, her feet were off the ground for a good second.

Sasuke was quick enough to shift his body weight forward so he wouldn't fall backwards.

"Oi!" / "Sakura!"

Ino was just as surprised as him with Sakura's actions.

"Did you see it yet?"

"Huh?" Sasuke quickly shut his locker closed.

"The results of the finals?! You're on the list."

"Oh." Sasuke glanced from Sakura to his shoe locker and back at her.

"And..." Sakura found herself distracted by his eye movements. "Guess what?"

"Hn."

"I tied... What was that by the way?"

"Hm?"

"In your shoe locker. I barely glimpse it."

"It's nothing." He rested his hand on his locker and leaned his weight on it.

"Nothing?! There's something else in there other than your shoes. Was that... a love letter?"

"Huh?! Oh... Y-Yes it was."

"Eh?!" Ino joined Sakura in her surprised reaction.

"Are you suddenly popular again?", wondered Sakura.

"Who knows."

"So have you read it yet? Who is it from?"

"I'm not telling you anything."

The two of them stared at each other. Sakura moved away and Sasuke's eyes followed her. She tried stepping to the left and stepping to the right. Sasuke's eyes still followed her.

She tried going around him slowly and Sasuke shifted from his one hand to the other to keep up with her, without leaving his locker unguarded for even a second.

Ino didn't know how to react to the scene taking place in front of her. Once again, she was seeing a side of Sasuke that seems to only slip out whenever he was with Sakura.

"Fine!" Sakura raised her hands in surrender. She turned on her heel and Sasuke let his guard down.

A mischievous smile formed on Sakura's lips as she swiftly sneaked herself between Sasuke and the lockers.

She boxed him out as she snatched the letter from his locker but Sasuke was quick enough to steal it away from her.

"What the?!... Come on! Can't you show me?"

Sakura started on a series of attempts to reach the pink paper that Sasuke held by his outstretched hand. She jumped and skipped and twirled around Sasuke.

"It's address to me!", said Sasuke.

"But... don't you want a girl's opinion on the matter? It could be a prank."

"As a girl, _you_ ought to be more considerate. Think of what the sender would feel if she found out I allowed someone else to read it!"

"Don't suddenly act so 'thoughtful and considerate' of strangers just cause it's convenient for you! You're so out of character!"

"You're not yourself right now either. This thing doesn't interest you!"

"But what if it really is a prank?! I'm not saying that it's weird for a girl to suddenly want to confess to you, but with your current reputation in this school, it's weird for a girl to suddenly want to confess to you!"

Sasuke transferred the letter to his other hand and raised it as high above his head as he could. "Why do you want to know so _bad_?!"

Sakura didn't even think twice to move in closer and chest to chest with him - or chest to abdomen to be more precise. Her left hand held unto his right arm for support as she stood on her toes. Her right hand was raised and pulling on his arm that held the letter.

"I haven't even decided whether to cheer for Karin or whoever _that girl_ is. The last thing I need right now is for another girl to join the equation!"

Sasuke was about to say something but Choji spoke first. "Will these two ever stop flirting?"

Sakura and Sasuke whipped their heads towards Ino and saw that she was now joined by Naruto, Shikamaru and Choji.

"Shut up Choji!", Ino told him. "You don't know anything so keep your mouth shut, pig!"

"Pig?! Who you calling a pig, INO-PIG?!"

"Only Forehead can call me _that_ you BIG FAT PIG!"

"You're the BIGGER FATTER PIG!"

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"YOU-"

"ENOUGH!" Shikamaru stepped in between them. "You're both troublesome!"

Naruto just had the usual passive expression he always had whenever he saw Sasuke.

Sasuke's interactive mode shut down. He was about to reflect the same passive mood to Naruto just as he always did and Sakura took that as an opportunity to seize the letter from him. Then she stepped back away from Sasuke and turned around.

She was about to open the letter but to her surprised, Sasuke came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her head in order to cover her eyes.

With her back pressed against his chest, she knew what he would do next so she stretched her hand out forward. "Ino! Help!"

"Er." Ino wasn't ready to take any action at all.

"Naruto! Grab it!", Sasuke instructed.

Despite Naruto's surprise, he was able to move and retrieved the now opened letter from Sakura.

"N-Naruto?", said Sakura as she peeked through the space between Sasuke's fingers. She saw Naruto's eyes skimming the contents before folding the paper shut again.

Sasuke finally released her.

Sakura looked back at him. "Hey! Naruto read it!"

"Aa."

"Eh?! So Naruto can read the letter but I can't?!", she protested.

"Yes. Because he's my best friend..."

What Sasuke said shocked everyone then.

"...and I'd let him know first-hand before I make a move on a girl or accept one's confession."

Naruto smiled. Then he let his lips form a smug grin. "There you have it Sakura-chan!", he told her as he moved forward.

He didn't miss his chance to lightly smack her head with the folded paper before walking passed her and handing it back to Sasuke.

He then looked back at Sakura after Sasuke took it. "Sorry! But you only come in second to me!"

Sakura scowled and moved towards Ino. "Well. Just so you know Sasuke-kun! You also only come in second to Ino!" she held Ino's hand for emphasis.

"Second?", Sasuke smirked. "I'm above Sasori now?"

"Hah?!", Sakura sneered. "I take it back! And you know what?! You're actually _fifth_! Nurse Rin and Karin are definitely above you! Beh~!"

After sticking her tongue out towards Sasuke, she raised her chin at him.

"What a childish way to behave for being this schools _second_ smartest student."

Naruto snorted. "Oooh~ Burn!"

"S-Shut up!"

Regardless of what anyone really felt, everyone ended up smiling after that.

"I'm off.", Sasuke excused himself in the friendliest way he could manage.

It was the first time in a long while that everyone saw Sasuke and Naruto go their seperate ways with a smile.

"Later Teme."

"Aa. Dobe."

...

"I'm so happy for you Naruto." Sakura told the blonde boy as soon as Sasuke was gone.

"Yeah!" Naruto grinned at her. "Aah! I just remembered! There was something I have to do!"

"Naruto?", Shikamaru wondered.

"Sorry. I can't go with you guys this time."

Shikamaru sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I get it. Go ahead Naruto."

"Thanks.", said Naruto then he ran off towards the exit.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Ino stretched her hands up. She felt a good weight off her back. "Finally! The summer break starts tomorrow!"

Sakura and Ino fell behind Shikamaru and Choji as they walk out of the gate.

"So Forehead, where should we go this summer? How about the beach?"

"Uhm, okay but I have to ask Orochimaru-san of I can take some days off. I still don't know my work schedule."

"You're really going through with that?" Ino stopped walking.

Sakura looked back at her and halted as well. "Yes."

"But won't you reconsider now that he and Naruto are okay again. How about letting Naruto take your place? It could be a good opportunity for them to catch up with one another. I'll help you ask him, if you like?"

"That's a good idea Ino! I'll ask Naruto to help us too."

"So you're still gonna do it?"

"Of course! I said I'd do it. Sasuke-kun has done his part so it's the least I could do to help him."

Ino sighed. "I guess so. Anyway it's only for this summer. After that, you're finally gonna be free of him. Surely, whoever you get paired with in the next term can't be as much trouble as him."

Realization dawned on Sakura.

**['Oh yeah. I forgot. The pairings will be reshuffled in the next term.']**

"... I'm sure whoever it is, you'll do an even better job since Sasuke was like... the most difficult to deal with. I really hope you beat Neji. No! We have to stay positive. You're definitely going to place first! And then, your parents will just have to let you move with me to Tokyo."

"R-Right."

The two girls walked on.

"Then, it will be just you, me and Sasori. Like always!"

**['Ino, me and… Sasori']**

"Right Forehead?"

"Y-Yeah."

**['Just the three of us. Like always.']**

"Geez, it's so hot!", said Ino while waving her hand as a fan. "Want to get ice cream?"

"Sure."

**['I wonder, what Sasuke-kun is going to do after high school? Where will he go?']**

**...**

**/"I promise, I'll still be there for you. I'll help you then. Fill that space."/**

**/"Thank you... For telling me words I didn't even know I needed to hear."/**

**...**

**['Will I be able to keep my promise to him?']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Ino walked out of a convenience store. They were helping themselves to their popsicles as they made their way back to the sidewalk.

Sakura's phone vibrated.

"It's Karin. She sent me a picture message." said Sakura after checking her phone. "She wrote 'come quick' as the subject."

Sakura scrolled down and then she gasped.

"What is it?", Ino implored.

"It's a picture of Sasuke-kun and Naruto. But- They both look beaten up."

"Let me see!" Ino leaned closer to take a look.

In the picture, Naruto had his hand around Sasuke's shoulder - to keep him from getting away. Naruto had a big grin despite the multiple band-aids and bruises on his face. Sasuke's face was equally filled with band-aids. He looked half happy and half annoyed. In the back was a medical cabinet.

"We were just with them a while ago. What could've happened to them in such a short span of time?", Ino noted.

"Is this in the infirmary? It looks different.", wondered Sakura.

Ino took a closer look at the background. "No. That interior looks like- That picture was taken inside… Uzumaki General Hospital."

**.**

**.**

**.**


	16. 4.2

**(4.2)**

**XXXXXX**

" ** _Is it really okay to stay this way?"_**

Sakura and Ino quickly made their way inside a building with a sign that said; 'Uzumaki General Hospital'.

Once inside, Ino led Sakura through a hallway, completely ignoring the nurse at the reception that was alarmed by their hasty intrusion.

"Excuse me! You both!", the nurse called to them.

Ino just pulled Sakura onwards until they arrived at a ward. They could hear Naruto's boisterous laughter from the hallway long before they reached the door.

**.**

**.**

**.**

They found Naruto trying to persuade Sasuke that the anime program on the television was a good one.

The two boys occupied the stool and the bed closest to the television as if they were in the comforts of their own home.

Naruto was even munching on some junk food as he lay on the bed. "Sakura-chan! You came.", Naruto greeted her. "Ino's here too."

"Eh? What the-? You two! Karin told us to come quick. We rushed all the way here and what do we find? ... The two of you having a picnic!" Sakura was mad. "What makes you think that you can just loaf around in here like you're in the comforts of your own home?!"

"But Sakura-chan, we're not loafing around. We're patients. See our bruises!" Naruto pointed at his own face. "Besides, this is my home. I live here remember?"

"Don't you be smart with me! Not in this part of the building you don't! This is just you abusing your privileges. You should be more considerate of the patients." Sakura pointed beyond the curtains.

"What happened to you anyway? Why do you look like that? Did you two fight again?"

"Whoah! Calm down Sakura-chan! We didn't fight. At least, not one another.", stated Naruto as he opted to just seat on the bed instead.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, we fought together. Against other guys.", he explained.

"What? Why?"

"The letter."

"The letter?"

"It wasn't a love letter was it?", Ino joined.

"No. It wasn't.", said Sasuke. "It was an invitation to a fight. With a hint of blackmail."

"Is that why you didn't want me to see it?!", Sakura realized

"Aa."

"Seriously!" Sakura sighed. "Then- The reason Naruto- You went after Sasuke-kun to help him?", she asked Naruto.

"Yup!", Naruto answered proudly.

"Without even saying anything about it to each other?" Sakura started rubbing her temples. "You're friendship is amazing. You two are amazing!"

Sasuke looked away and Naruto rubbed the back of his head. Both boys were bashful.

"Anyway, are the two of you really okay?", asked Ino.

"Oh this is nothing. You should see the other guys." Naruto had a smug smile on his face. "Right Sasuke?"

"Aa.", Sasuke smirked.

Sakura and Ino looked at each other.

"Do we want to know?"

"They'll live.", Karin spoke from behind the curtains.

Sakura and Ino just learned of her presence in the ward. The two girls peeked beyond the curtain and found Karin tending to one of many passed-out boys lying on the hospital beds. She was wearing the hospitals prescribed scrubs.

"Are these the guys you fought?", Sakura wondered.

"...four, five... Six?!", Ino counted. "The fight was six against two! In their favour. How is it that they're the ones-?!"

"It was stupid of them to challenge Sasuke-kun.", said Karin. "To make matters worse for them, Naruto here joined the fight."

"I originally went there just for moral support. But Sasuke was rusty.", Naruto implied.

"Hn." Sasuke admitted with a nod.

"Come on you two. Take a seat. I'll tell you the whole story." Naruto motioned for the two girls to seat on the stools beside the bed across the one he was sitting on.

Sakura and Ino took their seats and let Naruto tell the story.

"So... Sasuke went to them and... after a few mocking and provoking comments from those thugs the biggest of them all, challenged Sasuke. He even said; he didn't need help from his friends.

Anyway, he smacked Sasuke here and there. At first he and his friends found it funny since Sasuke wasn't doing anything to defend himself or push him off. But then, he started to notice that Sasuke wasn't the least bit affected.

Sasuke in fact asked him if that was all he got. He told them, he didn't have time to entertain them and he just came there to-"

"Dobe."

Naruto paused. He looked at Sakura and Ino.

"Just the summary would be fine.", said Ino.

"Er... Okay... Sasuke was just measuring the enemies strength so he had to let them hit him first... just to have an idea of what they were capable of.", Naruto continued.

"Wait? What?", Ino pardoned.

"Sasuke-kun let them hit... him?", Sakura echoed.

"You know?! He had to know how much power his opponent has before he could fight them fairly. He had to adjust his punches but he made a wrong call and knocked the guy out in one hit."

Sakura and Ino's eyes widened.

"After that, he was suddenly reluctant to fight anyone else but those guys were just too eager to make him pay for what he did to their boss-dude. That's when I stepped in." Naruto raised his thumb towards himself. "I thought I'd show him how it's done."

"But you also misjudged your opponent and put him out in one punch." Sasuke noted.

"Well. I overestimated him. ... So, I had no choice but to let the rest hit me too. I adjusted my punches but I still knocked the third guy out cold. … Then it became a contest between me and Sasuke to see who could do a better job at holding their punches. It resulted in two more guys going down.

We realized it was down to the last guy but he passed out all on his own as soon as both our attention was on him.", Naruto finished the story.

"The bastard even peed his pants.", Karin shared.

Sakura and Ino were dumbfounded.

"These street thugs, never stood a chance against Naruto and Sasuke-kun.", Karin explained. "These two have been competing against one another since they were kids. They challenged each other to the different fields of martial arts to determine which one of them was better than the other. They even learned Krav Maga."

"Krav Maga?!", gasped Ino. "You guys are dangerous!"

Sakura was suddenly pale. "I can't believe I stepped in between these two when they we're about to fight."

"You did it twice too.", Naruto reminded her.

Sakura turned a whiter shade of pale. "I never thought I'd be so happy to have ended up just being shoved into a wall."

Sasuke flinched at the memory and Sakura suddenly felt guilty for bringing it up.

**['Uh-oh! He's feeling guilty again.']**

"Why would you go through so much trouble just to measure your capabilities anyway? And why martial arts?", questioned Ino.

**['Nice save Ino! Way to go changing the subject!']**

"We were both planning to become a soldier.", answered Naruto.

**['A soldier? Is that really what Sasuke-kun plans to be?']**

"Soldiers?! I can't imagine the two of you with shave heads.", said Ino.

Sasuke and Naruto both looked like they had just realized that they'd have to get a haircut if they really intend to join the army.

"You didn't really think they would let you keep those long spiky hairstyles now did you?", Ino raised the question.

"A-Anyway." Naruto seemed like he brushed off the thought as something he would have to deal with, when the time actually comes.

"That was a decision we made back when we were kids. And now that I think about it, I forced Sasuke into making that decision. Back then, I thought we were best friends so we should do the same thing."

**['Eh? ... Just like me. So that's why he is able to empathize with me.']**

"But so much had happened and after spending a long time apart from each other, I realized we are our own person. Sasuke's probably realized that he doesn't really want to be a soldier now and that he doesn't have to."

Naruto turned to Sasuke. "Isn't that right, Teme?"

"A-Aa." Sasuke nodded at him.

"Hm. I thought so." Naruto nodded back at him. "I still want to become a soldier though. I want to serve our country. Just like my late biological father." Naruto rubbed the back of his head feeling a bit embarrassed.

Naruto grinned "So, Teme. What is it that you want to do now?"

**['I also want to know but...']**

…

**/"To play one last game with my brother."/**

…

Sakura noticed Sasuke's discomfort at being placed in the hot seat.

**['He's still not ready to talk about it after all.']**

She started looking around for inspiration. She needed to change the topic.

Just then, Karin moved away from the patients and decided to join them.

**['That's it.']**

"By the way!... Karin? Why are you tending to the patients?"

"Huh? Oh. This hospital is understaffed so they let me help.", explained Karin.

"Eh, that's so cool.", Ino commented. "You get hands on experience on handling patients even before going to college."

"I'm only making sure their faces don't get too swollen. The faster they heal, the less this hospital has to clean up after Naruto!", Karin glared at Naruto.

"Hey! I'm not the only one who did that. Sasuke is just as guilty as me.", Naruto retorted.

"You took down more than him!", She shot back.

"Still." Sakura spoke. "They leave the patients to you even without an attending physician. Is it because of Nurse Rin's influence? She works here too right?"

"I guess."

"It must be nice to be Nurse Rin's assistant. I wished I had volunteered to help in the infirmary as well."

Everyone suddenly turned to Sakura with puzzled expressions.

"Assistant? Volunteer?" Karin crinkled her nose. "Sakura, is that what you thought I was all this time?" Karin snorted as she seemed to find something hilarious.

"Huh?! Why are you all looking at me like that? Is there something I don't know?"

"Sakura." Karin chuckled. "I'm not just Nurse Rin's assistant. I'm her apprentice. But it's an informal apprenticeship. My Dad assigned her as my pre-college mentor, because he believes that I shouldn't wait till I'm in college to start my training. He had a point. Look, how much I am able to help out here in the hospital.", Karin explained.

"As expected of Dad. He'd only want to make sure he raised Karin to be good enough to replace him one day.", added Naruto.

"Dad?" It was Sakura's turn to be puzzled.

"Didn't you know Sakura-chan? My late mother and her father are siblings. After I lost my parents, Dad became my legal guardian and he adopted me as his son."

"Then Karin is an Uzumaki.", Sakura just realized.

"Yeah.", Karin and Naruto confirmed in unison.

"My father is 'the' Dr. Uzumaki. He owns this hospital.", Karin stated.

"And you're Uzumaki Karin. The Uzumaki heiress.", Sakura concluded.

"Are you seriously finding this out just now, Forehead?", even Ino was surprised.

Sakura was embarrassed of her ignorance. "So-Sorry." was all she could say.

Everyone but Sasuke laughed at her.

"Are you coping up with the pressure though?", Ino asked Karin.

"It's no big deal. I've been helping out in this hospital since I was a little girl. I grew up in this environment and I'm my best right here.", Karin answered confidently.

"No wonder you're most comfortable when you're inside the infirmary.", Ino noted.

"Ino!", a man called from the hallway. "So it was you. The nurse on the reception told me they saw you come in here."

"Dad." Ino stood up.

"Dr. Yamanaka." / "Yo Doctor!"

-Karin and Naruto greeted him.

"Oh. I didn't know you two were also here." he looked around the room and saw Sasuke. "Uchiha-kun. Is that really you? My, you've grown so much since I last saw you."

Sasuke stood up from the stool and bowed at the man. "Doctor."

Then Sakura put the pieces together.

…

**/"We had the same child psychiatrist."/**

…

"Good to see you boy. How have you been? I've heard about-" The man stopped himself as he remembered her daughter was there. He cleared his throat. "Sorry. I hope you've been well."

"Yes Doctor. Thank you."

**['Everyone here is connected to each other in some way. I feel so... out of place.']**

"Anyway, you guys can't stay here. You're disturbing the other patients. Karin. Naruto. Move your guests to the residential area."

"Right." Naruto got off of the bed and led Sasuke out of the ward "Let's go Teme. You haven't seen my room in a long time. I've got some new games I've always wanted to play with you."

"Aa." Sasuke followed.

Naruto looked back at Karin. "Karin, you're inviting Sakura-chan and Ino as well right?"

"Yeah.", she yelled at Naruto who was already in the hallway with Sasuke.

"There's actually something I wanted to discuss with you.", she told the other two.

"What about?", Sakura wondered.

"I'll tell you later. For now, you two follow Naruto and Sasuke-kun back there. I'll join you as soon I'm done here."

"You kids stay out of trouble." Ino's father followed behind after Sakura and her daughter. "And Ino, don't stay out too late."

"Yes Dad.", Ino told him before following Naruto and Sasuke along with Sakura.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Ino admired their own reflection in the mirror. Karin had let them changed into her spare scrubs. They even wore lab coats and stethoscope to complete their look.

Ino started taking pictures of herself while Sakura continued to check her reflection in the mirror.

"Looks great on you Sakura-chan.", said Naruto from the living area.

He and Sasuke took a moment to pause their game to look at the three girls making a huge fuzz over donning hospital apparels.

"Isn't it?", Sakura tried her best to pose like a professional. It didn't even take her a couple of seconds before she felt insecure and broke out of character. "Just kidding! And you're lying." she pretended to be upset and held her braids. "I bet my braids ruined the look."

"Maybe if you change your hairstyle." Karin came up behind her and gently pulled her braids over her shoulders and held it together to imagine a ponytail look.

"Yeah?" She replaced Karin's hand with her own and examined her reflection once again. "What do you think Sasuke-kun? You saw how I look like in a ponytail?"

"He did?", Naruto wondered. "Didn't you always wear your hair like that?"

"Usually.", Sakura told Naruto then turned to Sasuke again. "So, Sasuke-kun... ponytail or... is it better if I just let my hair down?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Anything is fine I guess.", he said before looking back at the television and continuing the game.

"No fair, Teme! I wasn't ready!", Naruto complained as he quickly grabbed his controller.

Sakura's gaze returned to her reflection. Soon, her smile fades away.

From her reflection, her eyes wandered to Ino's reflection behind hers...

Behind Sakura, Ino and Karin were chatting about similar experiences about having a doctor for a father.

**['Is it really okay to stay this way?']**

…

**/"Don't forget the real reason why you're working so hard for."/**

**/"We're best friends so she decided we'll both be doctors."/**

**/"My mom. ... She wishes for me to become more like Ino minus the wanting to be a doctor part. ... I think the real reason I decided that I would become a doctor was because that was the only thing about Ino that she didn't like. I think I had just meant to spite her."/**

**/"All this enthusiasm to move to Tokyo and go to college. You're not even that passionate about being a doctor! You're just doing it to impress a boy!"/**

**/"It was after Sasori commended her for it that she really started wanting to become one."/**

**/"Then I met Sasori. He was the first person who ever praised me. He was the only one who really appreciated what I did. Since then, he was the only one I cared enough to please."/**

**/"It will be just you, me and Sasori. Like always!"/**

**/"Is this boy going to support you? Or are you going to depend on Ino for the rest of your life?!..."/**

…

**['Regardless of what the real reason is, my decision to become a doctor was influenced by being friends with Ino and Sasori.']**

Sakura glanced at Naruto.

…

**/"I thought we were best friends so we should do the same thing…But so much had happened and after spending a long time apart from each other, I realized we are our own person."/**

…

**['But... As my own person. As just me... Haruno Sakura... Was there ever something that I wanted for myself?']**

Sakura's eyes wandered towards Sasuke.

"Aargh!", Naruto growled and Sakura's attention was pulled back to him. "How are you so good at this when it's your first time playing?!", He said frustratingly.

Sasuke smirked.

Naruto scowled and put down the controller. He stood up "Let's take a break. I'm getting hungry." and walked towards the kitchen.

"Hungry? You were just eating Dobe.", Sasuke reminded him, also putting down his controller.

"That was almost half an hour ago!", Naruto yelled back from the kitchen. He started checking the cabinets. "How about you guys stay for dinner? Karin- ne~ what should we have?"

"Ne~?!", Karin sneered. "Don't call me 'ne' just because you're planning on asking me to make you food! You're not cute at all!"

**['Naruto and Karin treat each other like real siblings.']**

…

**/"...She's worried about you!..."/**

…

**['Was she the girl Naruto was talking about back then? ... Of course Naruto's aware of Karin's feelings for Sasuke-kun.']**

…

**/"Can you do me a favour and not mention this to Naruto."/**

…

**['It makes sense. Naruto would definitely want his sister and his bestfriend to end up together... I think. He'd be upset if he found out Sasuke-kun and I went out together on a d-**

**Ie! Ie! Ie!... That was definitely not a date!**

**Anyway. Karin likes Sasuke but Sasuke obviously isn't dating Karin now so... that means he's... single.**

**Uh-oh!**

**If Ino figures this out, she's gonna start worrying about my feelings for Sasuke-kun again.**

Sakura glanced at Ino.

**Wait! _My feelings?!_ ']**

"Is everything okay?", Ino wondered why Sakura seemed absent while looking at her.

"Huh?! Yeah! Just spacing out.", Sakura looked around. Sasuke was still on the couch, texting.

Karin and Naruto were still discussing dinner.

"You know, I only know how to prepare instant ramen. You always tell me how bad that is for my health."

"Go ahead and help yourself to instant ramen tonight."

"Are you serious?!... Karin, Sasuke's right there. Don't you want to impress Sasuke with your cooking?!"

"As much as I want to, I'll have to wait for another opportunity to do that. You and Sasuke-kun are gonna have to figure dinner out or yourself tonight."

"What about you guys?"

"The three of us are going out."

"We are?", Sakura and Ino looked at each other.

Karin nodded at them. "With that said, you ready to change into another outfit?"

**.**

**.**

**.**


	17. 4.3

**(4.3)**

**XXXXXX**

" ** _And that's all I'm going to say about that."_**

"Karaoke?", wondered Sakura.

The three girls, clad in jackets, stood across the street from a Karaoke Bar.

"Are we really going in there?", asked Ino.

"Yes.", said Karin, matter of fact.

Sakura and Ino shared a quizzical look at each other.

"I wondered what the suspense was all about." Ino sighed. "You could've just told us you wanted to sing-"

The two girls then just noticed that Karin was already recklessly crossing the street as vehicles were driving by.

One driver honks at her but she only gave him the finger.

"Karin!", Sakura called as she and Ino ran towards the seemingly furious girl. They caught up with Karin as she was already almost halfway across the street.

Sakura held Karin's arm. "What's wrong with you?! That was dangerous!", she scolded the redhead as she had her slow down. Ino walked along them gesturing apologies to the drivers and pleading for safe passage.

The three girls safely made it across but as soon as they were on the sidewalk, Karin quickly made a bee line for the entrance of the establishment.

Ino grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Karin, hold on! What is really going on? Why are we here?!"

"Because~!", Karin snapped, a sanguine expression plastered on her face. "The bitch who asked her boyfriend to mug Sasuke-kun is in there right now, celebrating, thinking Sasuke-kun was beaten half to death and completely unaware of the fact that it's her boyfriend that is lying out cold and unattended in my family's hospital!"

Sakura felt a pang of guilt when she heard this. Her intuition kicked in.

"What?!" Ino let go of Karin's hand. "Okay. So you want to confront her. But why are we here? What's it got to do with me and Sakura?"

"Ami.", said Sakura.

Karin nodded.

"Ami?! Ami asked his boyfriend to mug Sasuke? Why? And what do you know about this Sakura?"

"Because I'm the reason why Ami has a beef with Sasuke... I- In the library, Ami and her gang... they were bullying Hinata. I tried to tell her off but you know how much Ami is used to pushing me around. The one who got her to back down was Sasuke. She was humiliated in front of me, Hinata and her friends. … All this time, I thought she had found something better to do... I was glad to know she stopped bullying Hinata too."

"That BITCH!" Ino sneered. "Even Hinata."

"But how did you know she'd be here?" Sakura questioned Karin.

Karin took out a phone - that was obviously not hers - from her pocket. "This belongs to her boyfriend."

"You took his phone?!"

"She sent him a message telling him to join her here after they were done with Sasuke-kun. I know which booth they are in. And since they probably told the receptionist that they're expecting other people to join them later, we won't have any trouble crashing their celebration.", explained Karin.

Ino palmed her face. "This is really happening huh? You're going to go in there and confront her and you want us as your back up?"

"Sakura. Ino. I can't forgive her.", Karin told them. "Even if you guys do, I won't! She threatened my Sasuke-kun! And it just so happens that my brother got caught in it too. I don't care that none of them had really gotten hurt. I won't stand for the fact that they think they could just do this to an Uchiha and an Uzumaki!"

Sakura sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this but... I agree with you." She turned serious. "Ami has done nothing but made me feel horrible. Well you know what, I am horrible! And I'm gonna show her just how horrible I really am! She started this. Let's put an end to it."

Sakura and Karin turned to Ino.

"Ino. It's fine. You don't have to come with us. Just wait here outside.", Sakura told her.

"What?!"

"I can't get you caught in this too. It's between us and her."

"No! Since when did I ever let Ami push you around?! Don't forget who's the one who taught you how to stand up for yourself! Besides, they can't keep doing things like this.

"Ino?"

"I'm going with you! You're not the only one she's pissed off. There's no way I'm letting her get away with what she did to you!", said Ino, taking the first step towards the entrance.

Sakura and Karin joined her and the three girls made their way inside the establishment.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura, Karin and Ino were at the end of a hallway with one of the staff. The man pointed at the door on the other side of the hallway.

"Right this way. Your friends are in here-", said the man as he was about to lead them towards the door.

"Oh were fine right here.", Karin stopped the man. "We can manage on our own. The door at the very end, right?"

"Yes Ma'am.", the man confirmed. "Well then. Just call us if you need anything else."

"Yes. We will.", said Karin.

Ino smiled at the man. "Thank you."

The man excused himself as they casually walked towards the room at the end of the hallway. As soon as the man went inside the elevator, the three girls slowed their pace and quietly approached the door.

"That room is way too big for four girls and six boys alone.", Karin noted.

"I knew Ami was a spoiled bitch and a show off but this 'v.i.p.' booth is just too much.", Ino commented.

The three girls peeked through the glass panel. The room was big enough to accommodate an entire class. They saw Ami and her gang surrounded by boys from a different school. They were wearing the same uniform as the boys Sasuke and Naruto had brought into the hospital.

"There are boys in there with them.", Said Sakura. "More than a dozen."

"Friends of Ami's boyfriend.", Ino thought. "Good thing they only sent six guys to get Sasuke."

"Won't make any difference.", Karin implied.

Two of Ami's friends were flirting with some of the boys while Ami and the other girl were getting a good laugh at a couple of boys fighting over the microphone.

One of the boys from the bunch stood up and seemed like he was about to step outside so Sakura's group retreated for the moment.

The boy was called by someone from inside so he looked back giving the three girls time to make a run for the stairwell.

The three girls descended further down to hide when the boy came by with one of his friends and headed to the restroom.

Below, Karin was looking out for a chance to move in.

Ino took out her phone.

Sakura and Karin glanced at her but Karin returned her watch upstairs, to keep an eye on the boys who were inside the men's restroom.

"We're gonna need back up.", Ino told Sakura. "And it just so happens, I've got the perfect 'cavalry'.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_(A/N: You might find the next few scenes either hilarious or cringy. Sorry if it's the latter.)_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Cue the badass rock music and play this next scene in slow-motion because you'd want to appreciate every moment of this in detail.

A beauty that agreed so well with anger, Haruno Sakura was just that. With a fired-up attitude she leads Ino and Karin up the stairs.

The three girls had abandoned their jackets, revealing what they had changed into.

Sakura wore a black sleeveless turtleneck, midnight blue capri jeans and her red converse minus her socks. Her braids were loosened so the bottom half of her hair formed curls.

Karin donned a black top with fringed midriff, red hot pants, her trademark over the knee socks and black studded ankle boots while Ino killed it with her dark violet sheer halter top, tight fitting liquid leggings and a pair of gladiator shoes. She also had a violet pouch bag she carried like a wrislet.

~ Ding. ~

The elevator door opens revealing two more pumped up girls. Temari was the last to step out of the elevator, looking like she had just come from a formal dinner. Her thick blonde hair was in a french twist. She held a purse and was wearing a white sheer collared sleeveless blouse tucked into high-waist black palazzo slacks and a pair of black platform shoes.

The two girls join the other three to form an intimidating five cell formation as they walked down the hallway.

"Wait.", Sakura interrupted the mood.

~ Scratch. ~

_(Pause Music)_

"Who are you?", she asked the long haired brunette wearing a pink crop jacket, harem shorts and a pair of black and pink athletic shoes.

The brunette who had her hands inside the pocket of her jacket all this time answered her in a sarcastic tone. "Very Funny! Ha. Ha. Ha."

Tenten scowled as the other four snickered for a good couple of seconds before getting their game face back on.

~ Scratch ~

_(Play Music)_

They continued on their way to reach the other end of the hallway.

**.**

**.**

**.**

As soon as Sakura opened the door, the five girls inhaled the smell of cigarette smoke in the air.

The speakers were so loud that no one inside would've noticed them coming in, if it weren't for the boy, who was singing at the stage, turning his head towards the door.

The attentions of the boys were diverted to the newcomers. Ami and her gang did not fail to notice the dazzled and turned on looks the boys had on their faces.

The girls still clad in their uniforms turned their heads towards Sakura's group who didn't even hesitate to approach them.

"Is that Sakura?" Ami's friend was gaping.

Ami herself was in shock as she took in Sakura's appearance. Then she noticed the other girls that were with Sakura.

Standing up, she acknowledges the blonde girl beside Sakura. "Ino-san?! Why are you- This booth is reserved. We-"

"We're here for you!", declared Karin.

"Uzumaki Karin." Ami recognized her.

"Uzumaki?!", the boys echoed.

"Is that her?!", blurted Tenten, pointing at Ami. "Is that the _slut_ who bullied Hinata-chan just to see if she could help her get inside Neji's pants?!"

"Naruto's too!", Karin shared, without averting her glare at Ami.

Ami was shamefaced. "Who are you calling a 'slut', you BITCH?!"

"You! Obviously.", Tenten stated as she eyed Ami up and down. "I heard you already have a boyfriend but you're trying to make a move on Neji. Well! Just so you know! Even if you and Neji were both single he wouldn't go for someone like you!"

The serious expression in Sakura's eyes was replaced by curiousity. "Neji isn't single?", she wondered as she, Karin and Temari all looked at Ino.

Ino blinked her eyes from Ami to the three girls and back to Ami again as she muttered a 'No.'

"He had a girlfriend all this time?", Temari pondered.

"Ah." / "Well, makes sense I guess." / "Hm."

Sakura, Karin and Temari chatted. Their carefree demeanour irritated Ami even more while her friends were also processing the information among themselves.

"Anyway, Who's the girl?", Sakura found herself asking.

"Yours truly!", announced Tenten, pointing a thumb at herself.

Sakura, Temari and Karin turned to Ino again.

Ino nodded.

Ami snapped before the three girls could react to this. "Who the fuck are you anyway?!"

"T-Tenten!", called a soft spoken voice.

Everyone's head turned and saw Hinata by the door. She flinched at the sudden attention directed at her. "I-I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean t-to inte-interrupt. I just came here to get my friend.", she explained.

"Tenten?!" Ami and her gang gawked while the boys found Hinata cute and alluring.

"Tenten.", Hinata shyly called her. "W-What's going on?"

"Hinata! I thought I told you to wait in the car.", Tenten reminded her.

"Y-You said you'd only t-take a minute and t-then we saw Temari come in and..."

"So you were with Hinata?", Temari noted.

"I couldn't ask her to go in with me."

"W-What's going on here? W-Why are Sakura and the others here as well?", Hinata wondered.

"Yeah! What the hell is happening here?", One of the boys questioned. "Cute girls are coming one after another. Not that we're complaining, right boys?", he insinuated as he shared a meaningful look with his peers.

His friends grinned and snickered in response.

"We're here to teach these bimbos a lesson for bullying our friends.", declared Tenten.

The boys just smiled in amusement as they stood up and made a move to surround Sakura and her friends.

Ami broke into a cackle. "Seriously? Is this what all this is about? Don't tell me you went all the way here just to tell me off? Just so you know, I am so done with that _timid bitch_." Ami jeered at Hinata.

Hinata lowered her head in discomfort.

She then turned to Sakura with a dark expression. "You, however. I'm not done with you. By the way Sakura, where's prince charming?"

Sakura only glared at her in response.

"Do you really have the time to be here right now? Hm?" Ami taunted and gave her a sinister smirk. "Do you have any idea where 'Sasuke-kun'..." - she mimicked her in a mocking tone - "...is right this very moment?"

"Yeah! He's probably in a critical condition right now since Ami had her boyfriend beat him up!", one of Ami's friends added as they too took their stand.

"That's right ladies. Whoever this Sasuke guy is, he's probably beaten half to death by now.", said the same boy from earlier. He walked around the girls and towards the door. "You see, our boss is quite the brutal guy. Isn't he fellas?"

His peers answered him with arrogant cheers and confident nods.

"Why don't you get out of here and start looking for him! And take your friends with you! You're gonna need all the help you can get scouting the whole town in search of him." Ami shooed them.

Hinata side stepped as the boy went to hold the door open for them. "Go on now! Get out!" he gestured for them to leave. "Although honestly, we'd love it if you stayed longer.", He leered at Hinata.

Hinata took a step back, away from him.

"Oh!", Ami spoke. "When you do find him, can you take a picture for me? I'd like to see what's left of his pretty face-"

"Sorry to burst your bubble.", Karin interjected. She then removed her glasses and hanged it on her collar.

One of the boys blushed after getting a good look at her piercing gaze.

Only then did Ami realize that her taunting had no effect whatsoever on Sakura and the others.

"But the last time I saw Sasuke-kun, he was in my kitchen, debating with my brother over whether to order pizza or noodles.", Karin continued.

"T-That's a lie!", Ami yelled. "I don't believe you! My boyfriend should've given him a hard time! ... And he should be here by now!" she took out her phone and dialed a number.

"I guess. If you count him and my brother carrying three passed out bodies each, all the way to my family's hospital as a hard time.", Karin implied as she threw the ringing cellphone on the table.

Ami immediately recognized her boyfriend's phone. "I-Impossible!"

"No way!"

"That's the boss'..."

"Are they really in the hospital?!"

The boys talked among themselves. Shock and worry transformed their faces.

"Ami!", Ino called her. "This is the worst yet. I didn't realize you could be capable of doing something like this. This is just-"

"Aargh!", Ami growled. "Enough! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Her shriek scared even her friends while the boys found it unsightly.

"Ino, this isn't junior high! I'm not someone you can just tell off anymore.", Ami sneered. "I couldn't care less if you're upset! You see all this?! These are _my friends_. These are _my people_. None of us here gives a fuck about you! I'm the only one that matters here."

Ino fell silent as Ami grinned at her maliciously. "In fact, I could just tell these guys to _ruin_ all of you right now and they'd do it!"

Sakura's group looked around them and noticed that the boys suddenly seemed excited - malice and lust, etched on their faces.

The boy near Hinata closed the door and stood in the way for anyone who would attempt to leave. "We get to have fun with these girls? Sounds good to me."

A number of his friends joined him by the door, crowding around Hinata.

One of them closed in on Hinata as the minus-one song playing in the background comes to an end.

She screamed as soon as she felt the boy grabbed her. Struggling out of his grasp, she stretched her hand out to push him away.

She ended up palming the boy just under her chin and the next thing she knew, she was free and there was a man lying down on the floor in front of her.

_~CLAP, CLAP, CLAP…~_

The word; 'Excellent!' appeared on the monitor as the programmed applause sounded throughout the room.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!", Hinata panicked.

"Nice!" / "Good job!"

-Temari and Tenten commented.

"N-No! Don't praise me! S-Someone please! Help him!", Hinata whimpered.

"What are all of you just staring there for! Get them!", ordered Ami as the next song cued on the Karaoke plays - 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie.

The boys started charging towards the girls.

Hinata bolted towards Tenten as she escaped the second attempt to grab her.

Tenten met Hinata halfway and just in time to pull the girl behind her and braised herself to fight off their attacker.

One guy threw a punch at her but she was able to avoid it. He expected a counter attack but Tenten went for a manuever that allowed her to grab his outstretched arm.

Tenten broke his arm and elbowed him in the face. Then she launched her right leg to kick a guy, who came to back his withering friend up - right in the gut.

The man fell down on his knees and threw up.

The boy at the door gaped at the three fallen comrades in front of him. The sight rendered him unable to move until he heard one of his friends grunting in pain.

He turned his head and saw a boy taking a step back, away from Karin as he realized that his forearm was bleeding. The guy had a deep cut.

Karin revealed a scalpel; she had pulled out from somewhere. "Don't worry. I have a lot of experience. I won't cut deeper than necessary.", she assured her victim.

The men's face paled. No one would be coming anywhere near that girl again.

Meanwhile;

"Let me go!", Ino trashed as she tried to escape from a guy who grabbed her from behind, lifting her up from the floor.

"Put her down you pervert!", Sakura demanded as she in turn grabbed Ino's captor from behind. She tightened her arms making it hard for him to breath.

Ino felt the man loosen his grasp on her so she reached for one of his pinky finger and pulled it hard, bending it backwards.

"Ooooowwww!", the man groaned as he let Ino go. The pain was too much for him to handle that he couldn't act fast enough when Sakura lifted him off the floor.

"Shanaroo!", Sakura cried out as she executed a German Suplex move.

Then she pushed away the boy's limp body and rolled over to get back on her feet. As she was about to stand, she realized that there was another boy near her holding a chair high over his head.

The boy suddenly started to jolt and shake all over. Then he fell down with the chair and continued to convulse on the floor, revealing Ino behind him holding out a taser.

Sakura and Ino shared a smile of gratitude for coming to each other's rescue.

"Tck." Ami clucked. She started biting on her thumbnail in frustration.

Temari was surrounded by boys who were now too afraid to make a move and find out just what she was capable of.

"Fucking useless bastards! How could you let a bunch of girls get the better of you?!", yelled Ami.

She and her friends retreated to the stage in order to avoid getting caught in the bout.

"Your gang members! You have weapons don't you?! Take them out and make these bitches ugly!"

"She's right!", the boy at the door boomed. "These girls came here prepared! Take them seriously!"

Acknowledging this, the boys started to pull out their pocket knives and brass knuckles.

Gloating, Ami sneered. "Now make these _bitches_ regret coming here and picking a fight with us!"

The boys decided to start with Temari who was separated from the rest.

Temari pulled out a fan from her purse and side stepped to avoid her first attacker. She then smacked the attacker's outstretched hand with her fan, causing the guy to drop his knife.

The guy was surprised at how hard and painful the fan had hit him and didn't see Temari's fan now coming towards his face.

He fell backwards revealing his now broken nose to his friends.

Temari kicked the discarded knife away from anyone else's reach before assuming an elegant pose as she awaits the next attacker.

The other boys decided to attack her all at once only to experience Temari's fan for themselves.

Temari looked like she was just playing a 'whack the mole game', while the boys alternately cried in pain.

"Ooww!"

"Aaah!"

"Shit! That hurts!"

"Ooof!"

Unable to take any more of it, the boys backed off away from Temari, disarmed and rubbing sore spots all over their bodies.

"UUURRGGHHH!", one of the boys screamed the pain off as he press his swelling hand in between his thighs. "Fucking fan is made of fucking metal!", he said through gritted teeth.

Temari smirked triumphantly as she opened the steel fan up to her face.

No one dared to attack her again. Not after getting a good look at the crest on her fan.

"S-Sabaku?!"

The boys shook in fear.

"Yakuza!"

The announcement relinquished whatever motivation the boys had for following Ami.

The boy at the door immediately made a break for it. His recovering friends immediately followed behind him.

The few remaining boys chose to kneel down in apology one after another.

"Please forgive us!"

"We're sorry!"

They started begging.

"Take of your clothes.", ordered Temari.

Every single one of the boys swiftly began to unbutton their shirts and unfasten their belts and pants.

Tenten snorted and Hinata covered her eyes. Karin put on her eyeglasses while Sakura and Ino looked away awkwardly.

Ami and her friends gaped.

"Now get out of here and don't show your faces to us ever again.", Tenten threatened.

The boys, stripped of their clothes and pride, broke into sobs as relief overwhelms them.

"Thank you!" / "We're really sorry!"

They yelled back as they ran out of the room.

Ami's friends moved closer to one another in fear. Then they all drop down on their knees when Sakura and the other girls directed their attention towards them.

"Please! Don't hurt us!" / "We're sorry! We won't do it again!" / "Forgive us?!"

Their pleading and cries overlapped one another's.

Then they tried to convince Ami who just stood there, stubbornly but in tears, to ask for forgiveness as well.

"Ami! Come on! You apologize too! Wasn't all of this your idea?"

"That's right. It was her! She planned all of it!"

"Forgive us, Ino-san! Sakura! We never really wanted to bully anyone. We just didn't want to go against Ami. We were all afraid to say no to her."

"Hinata-chan too! Forgive us?!"

"We're sorry about Sasuke as well!"

"We swear, we never meant for it to go this far! Ami, she-"

Ami glared at her friends. "You lying bitches! Traitors! You all agreed with me back then! All of you envied Hinata just as much as me! All of you longed to be close to Neji and Naruto-kun just as much as me! All of you hated the fact the Sasuke noticed Sakura just as much as me! And all of you fucking hated Sakura just as much as me! ... And why wouldn't you?! Why wouldn't we?!", Ami ranted.

"Why is it her?! ... Why is it you?!", Ami glowered at Sakura. "Why are you the one they fawn over?! Sasuke, even though you're just annoying him?! Naruto-kun, even though you treat him so horribly?!"

"What are you talking about?! It's not like that at all!", Sakura retorted. "Sasuke-kun and Naruto don't think of me in such a way. And I happen to have someone I-"

"That's right! You have Sasori-sempai! Everyone is dying to be notice by Sasuke and Naruto-kun but they only saw you! Why is it you, even though you already have Sasori-senpai!"

"I..." Sakura looked around her.

Ami's friend looked away but she could still see the scornful expressions on their faces.

Hinata lowered her head while Tenten sighed. Temari just shrugged while Karin looked like she couldn't care less. And Ino just looked at her with concern.

"We would've been fine if it was Ino-san. She's so beautiful and so kind. Why is it you?! You're so ugly and annoying! You don't deserve them! Not Naruto-kun! Not Sasuke! Not even Sasori-sempai!"

Sakura took those words hard. It left her unable to say anything back at Ami. She subconsciously reached for her hair clips.

Ino made her way towards Ami and slapped her on the face.

"You have no right to say that! You have no right to say she doesn't deserve Sasori!", Ino yelled at her. "You have no right to speak for him or anyone else who might like her! Any guy who likes Sakura is entitled to his own feelings! And Sakura can like whoever she likes! And if that guy just happens to like her back, then that's that! You don't get to will her happiness away just because you're all miserable!"

"Ino?!", Sakura was moved by what her best friend had said.

"You guys are pathetic.", Karin remarked. "So you wanted Sasuke-kun to notice you? Did you even do anything to achieve that? Sakura went through so much trouble to get to where she is with Sasuke-kun now. She even got hurt trying to reach out to him."

"Karin?!"

"All you ever did was fancy him from afar! And when he and Naruto fought, how did you react to it? You went along with everyone else and turned cold towards him! Then you decided to crush on Naruto instead.", Karin continued.

"T-That's right.", agreed Hinata. "Would you have even looked at Naruto-kun if he hadn't gotten so popular?"

"If there's someone you like, it's up to you whether you do what you can to get those feelings across or choose to stay in the side lines. But if you picked the latter, don't go around hating on those who have the courage to pursue a relationship.", Temari also gave them a piece of her mind.

Ami broke down into tears. Her friends started sobbing as well.

Tenten sighed. "Now it feels like we're the ones bullying them. Let's just go. These girls aren't worth it."

Tenten lead the way out of the room holding Hinata's hand. Temari and Karin didn't even look back as they walked towards the door.

"Let's go Sakura.", said Ino as she made a move to follow the others but then she noticed that Sakura didn't move from where she stood. "Sakura?"

Sakura looked Ami in the eyes and spoke. "Apologizing to you probably won't make you feel better. It won't make you hate me less either. Still..."

Ami and her friends were surprised when Sakura bowed to them. Her actions caught Ino off guard as well.

"I'm sorry that you're hurting. I'm sorry if it's because of me. I'm sorry that I'm so ugly and annoying, it bothers you so much.", said Sakura. Then she stood up straight. "But I'm not sorry for liking someone. I'm not sorry for confessing my feelings. I'm not sorry for falling in love. And I'm not sorry for the friends I've made; no matter how much any of you think I don't deserve it. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I seriously wish for all of you to find happiness."

Sakura turned away and joined the others who waited for her by the door.

They left Ami and her friends to bask in their own shame, guilt and self-pity.

**.**

**.**

**.**

A/N: I know. I know. 'That escalated quickly' right? This confrontation scene wasn't actually part of the original plot. I wrote it for fun but I couldn't resist using the idea because 1: These female characters aren't pushovers and 2: I thought it was a good opportunity for the minor characters to make an appearance.


	18. 4.4

**(4.4)**

**WONDER**

" ** _Since day one."_**

The girls made their way out of the building and saw a familiar face waiting by his car in the parking lot.

Neji was leaning on the hood of his white compact minivan, with his arms crossed. His hair was tied in a ponytail and he wore a plain white three quarter shirt, acid-wash denim jeans and a pair of brogues.

"Took you long enough.", he told the approaching brunette.

"Sorry. We got held up by the staff wondering why some men were running frantically away from the booth we were just in.", Tenten explained.

"And how did that turn out?"

"They asked for our names but after we gave it they were suddenly polite and more than eager to let us leave."

"You were here all along?!", Ino noted. "Did you see those boys running out of the place?"

"Yes. They seemed very scared. Most of them appeared to be in pain."

"Really? Why didn't you check on us? What if something bad was happening in there?", Tenten asked him.

"I got out of the car as soon as I saw the commotion.", he stated.

"So why didn't you come in?"

"I was about to, but then I saw the next group of boys ran out. They were all naked. So I decided; Nope! I don't wanna know.", Neji reasoned.

Tenten punched him in the arm. "You left me on my own because of naked boys?! Hinata was in there with me too!"

"Whoah!" Neji caught the next punch before it landed and pulled Tenten close. "You made that sound really weird."

Tenten struggled out of his hold. "What if I was in trouble in there?!"

"I would know if you were in trouble.", he assured her and Tenten stopped struggling. "I see and feel you even though you're far away. I would know if you were really in danger. If you were hurt, then I'd run to you even if it means going inside a place full of naked men."

"Come on, Tenten.", Temari yelled at her. "Stop acting like you were a helpless damsel in distress. You totally kicked ass back there."

Tenten glared at her then returned to look at Neji. "Was that supposed to sound romantic?!", Tenten mocked his gesture but he didn't get offended one bit.

Neji just enjoyed the fact that he held Tenten close and they were staring into each other's eyes.

Tenten finally gave in and smiled at him. She snuggled into his embrace and was about to kiss him when-

"Oh my go-! Get a room!", said Ino.

The couple turned to look at the other girls. Hinata was blushing and very happy for the both of them. Karin was fixing her eyeglasses in place looking very amused while the rest was grinning and giving them meaningful looks.

Tenten push herself away from Neji who finally move from his position. Then she stuck her tongue out towards the other girls.

With a smirk plastered on his face, Neji made a move to get into his car. "Come on. I'll give you girls a ride.", he offered.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasuke and Naruto stood in surprise outside the hospital. They obviously weren't expecting the girls to return by car.

"Karin?", wondered Naruto.

"Why is Shikamaru and Choji here with you?", asked Ino who peeked out of the car after Karin got down.

"Oh, we couldn't decide what to have for dinner between the two of us so I thought we should get a third opinion.", explained Naruto as he turned to Shikamaru and Choji who stood beside him all along.

"They ended up calling me to ask me which taste better. Pizza or noodles.", added Choji.

"We just happened to be in Choji's favorite Bar-B-Q joint then. Long story short, Choji and I just ordered take out and came over-" Shikamaru found himself distracted by Temari who came out of the car after Sakura.

"What?" Temari raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru.

"You look-" Shikamaru was at a loss for words.

Choji and Ino started cooing beside them.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Anyway, we already had dinner and now, we were just about to head home."

"What about you guys?", Naruto questioned the girls. "Where did you go? And whose car is this?"

Naruto walked towards the car to take a closer look.

"G-Good evening N-Naruto-kun.", Hinata greeted him as she peeked out of the car.

"Hinata-chan? You were with them too? Did you have a girl's night out or something?"

"Something like that.", said Tenten.

Naruto turned to the girl in the front seat of the car. "Do I know you?"

"What is wrong with all of you?!" Tenten threw her hands in the air.

"Tenten?!" Naruto leaned in closer to make sure. "Sorry. I didn't recognize you. I was surprised. I've never seen you with your hair down before-"

Naruto looked further inside the car and saw the driver. "Neji?"

"Evening." Neji nodded at him. He had one hand on the wheel and one hand resting on the back of Tenten's seat.

"I thought it was a girl's night out?! How come Neji was invited?!", Naruto asked Tenten.

Then his eyes widened in realization. "Oh. Oh!"

Neji's brows drew together. "What?"

"I mean, I had a feeling you were-" Naruto implied. "I always knew- I- I- Don't worry man. I don't judge-"

"Stop right there!", Neji cut him off. "I'm not-" He let go of the wheel and motioned for himself and Tenten. "I'm- We're together."

"Huh?!"

-The four boys wondered in unison. Shikamaru's voice however, was lower and lazier than Naruto's and Choji's while no voice came out of Sakuke's mouth at all.

"I thought Tenten was- And Neji was- You know what? ... You two are perfect for each other.", Naruto concluded.

Tenten scowled as the rest of the girls springs into laugher. She leaned back on her seat and crossed her arms.

"No! I meant that as a compliment!", explained Naruto.

"Whatever Naruto. Thanks anyway.", said Neji. "Looks like... you two made up."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke.

Sasuke had been busy with his phone for a while now. Karin was trying to peek at what he was doing but he was keeping it out of her sight.

Naruto then looked back at Neji with a grin. "Y-Yeah!"

Neji started the engine. "We should be going. Can't keep Hinata outside this late for too long.

See you around." Neji finally smiled at him.

"Oh. Okay. Be careful.", Sakura joined them. "And thanks for coming to help us Tenten."

"Yeah. Sorry we ruined your date.", Ino apologized.

"Oh please!" Tenten's smile returned to her face. "It was hardly a date with Hinata around."

"S-Sorry." Hinata felt guilty.

Tenten grinned back at the girl. "No, Hinata. It's okay. It really wasn't meant to be a date. We invited you remember?"

Then she turned back to Sakura and Ino. "You're lucky we weren't very far when you called."

"Ready?", asked Neji. Then he put his car into gear as soon as Tenten and Hinata nodded at him.

"Bye guys! Stay out of trouble!", yelled Tenten as Neji drove out of the parking lot.

"B-Bye-bye N-Naruto-kun!" Hinta tried to yell.

"Bye Hinata-chan!", Naruto yelled back. "Bye Neji. Tenten."

He waved at them as the car got on the road.

Neji honk his horn once - everyone that was in the parking lot either waved goodbye or gave them quick nods - before driving off.

Ino and Sakura then turned to Temari.

"You too Temari. Thanks for coming." said Ino.

"Sorry you had to leave an important family dinner for us.", Sakura told her.

"Don't worry about it!", Temari assured them. "The dinner was for my older brother and his fiancé. It was a pretty boring event if you asked me. I needed the excuse to get out of that party..." Temari checked her time. "...which is still far from over.

Do you mind if I hang out with you for a bit longer just to pass the time?"

"Sure! Why don't you come over?" Ino thought. "Sakura too?"

"Oh..." Sakura shook his head. "I would love to but I got a text a while ago and my mom wants me home immediately."

"Why?", Ino worried.

"Oh... you know." Sakura blinked towards Sasuke and back at Ino. "I'm still grounded for coming home late that one time.", she whispered.

"Oh."

"Yeah. I'm already passed my curfew. I told them I was just visiting a friend in the hospital so she gave me a consideration but she wants me to come home now."

"Oh!" Ino turned back to Temari. "Can we just walk Sakura to the bus stop before we go to my house?"

"No problem.", answered Temari. "But, what was that all about?"

"I'll tell you all about it later.", It was Ino's turn to whisper.

"Ino-pig!", Sakura called her out.

Ino stuck her tongue out and gave Sakura a peace sign.

"Thanks again Temari. You were a great help back there." Sakura turned to the other blonde girl.

"Don't mention it. It was fun!" Temari smiled at her.

All of a sudden, a phone rings and everyone's attention turned to Karin.

...

"Hello Dad.", Karin answered the call. "Yes. We- We're just outside the hospital... What?!... Okay! ... Okay, okay! ... I'm hanging up. We're on our way."

Karin put her phone away and turned to Naruto with a glare. "Naruto! Dad's home! And he found the mess you made in the kitchen! What happened in there?!"

Naruto flinched. "Uh-oh! I gotta go!" He ran towards the entrance of the hospital and stopped when he was a few steps from the door.

He turned on his heel and yelled. "Call me Teme! Let's hang out sometime! Later guys! Ino! Sakura-chan!"

"Aa."

"Later Naruto!", Choji yelled back.

Naruto grinned at them before disappearing into the building.

"Sakura. Ino. Sorry. My dad's in a foul mood.", said Karin. "Is it okay if you come back for your stuff some other time? I don't think I'll be able to come back out here."

"Okay. We completely understand." said Sakura.

"Don't worry about it.", Ino assured her. "It's not like we're gonna need our school bags anytime soon."

"All right then." Karin smiled at them then turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun."

"Hm?" Sasuke looked up from his phone.

"Come visit us again okay? Next time, I'll make sure to cook something up for you."

Sasuke nodded then returned his attention to his phone.

"Goodnight guys.", Karin excused herself with a smile plastered on her face.

"Goodnight Karin~" Sakura and Ino said in unison.

As Karin was walking through the door, Ino's father was just heading out. They both took a moment to bow to each other before moving on.

"Ino? You're still here." Ino's father called as he moved towards his grey compact car. "What happened to your uniform?"

"It's back at Karin's home. I'll come for it another time.", explained Ino.

"Come on then. Let's head on home.", he instructed as he opened his car door. "Shikamaru and Choji, Ride with us."

"Thank you sir!", said Choji while Shikamaru nodded to him in gratitude.

Ino looked apologetic as she turned to Sakura "Sorry Forehead. I'd offer to give you a lift to the bus stop but all of us won't fit inside dad's small car."

"It's okay. I'll manage."

"Can't be helped." Ino sighed. "Sasuke!", she called him.

Sasuke blinked away from his phone to look at Ino.

"Can you walk her to the bus stop again tonight?"

"Aa." Sasuke nodded and finally put away his phone.

"Don't worry. Sasori's coming home for the summer break. You'll be relieve from your duties soon enough. But thank you for what you've been doing for Sakura all this time."

Ino meant it in a good way but-

Both Sakura and Sasuke stood in awkward silence as Ino turned away from them to introduce Temari to her father.

They watched as Ino had Temari sit between her and Shikamaru in the back of the car while Choji claimed shotgun.

...

The car drove off as Ino yelled. "Call you later Forehead!"

Sakura waved at them until the car was no longer visible.

...

"It really did look good on you."

Sakura's head whipped towards Sasuke. She looked at him wide eyed.

"The- uh..."

"S-Scrubs?"

"The lab coat."

Sakura's mouth was mobile but no sound came out of it as she wasn't sure what to say to that. Finally, she settled for an "Oh."

"And..." Sasuke hesitated for a moment before finishing what he had to say. "...letting your hair down like that suits you best."

"Oh." she responded faster this time.

Sasuke moved his hands as if he wasn't sure what to do with it until he remembered that he was going to put in inside his pocket then he turned around and led the way to the all too familiar bus stop.

Sakura found herself smiling to herself as she tucks some strands of hair behind her ears. She too placed her hands inside the pocket of the red jacket Karin had lent her before following Sasuke.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura kept her gaze at the insects hovering around the fluorescent bulb lighting the shed.

**['How many times have we been here like this?']**

Sakura and Sasuke occupied the lone bench as they always did - with a space between them wide enough for one person to squeeze in. Sakura rested her neck on the top rail of the backrest of the bench as she was looking up at the light fixture.

"So." Sasuke started the conversation for once, surprising Sakura. "Where exactly did Karin bring you that she had to asked you to change out of your uniform?", asked Sasuke without even turning to face her.

"To a Karaoke bar.", she admitted, also keeping her eyes on the fluorescent bulb. "Where Ami was supposed to meet her boyfriend after he beats you up."

"You confronted her?!"

It was the first time Sakura had heard Sasuke's voice sounding alarmed.

She nodded.

Sakura saw Sasuke appear in her peripheral view as he shot himself up from where he sat. "What was Karin thinking? And why did you go along with it?"

"I... I had to confront her at some point." Sakura finally looked away from the bulb and faced Sasuke. "And Karin created the opportunity to do just that. She had to stop. Whatever problem she had with me, she shouldn't have gotten other people involved. And why didn't you tell me that she was the one who wrote that letter? You could've gotten seriously hurt because of me-"

"Was it just your group and hers?", Sasuke cut her off with his own question.

Sakura shook her head. "There were a bunch of boys there with her-"

She felt Sasuke's hand on hers as he pulled her up to her feet.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun?"

"Are you really okay? Did anyone hurt you?!" Sasuke started inspecting Sakura's body without letting go of her hand.

Sakura felt flustered and pulled herself away from his hold. "I'm fine! None of us got hurt. Temari scared them off. They ran as soon as they learned that she was from the Sabaku clan-"

"But what if that wasn't enough?!", Sasuke snapped, making Sakura flinch.

"What if who she was, hadn't meant anything to them?! What if there was no one there who could stop them from harming any of you?!"

Sakura gaped at Sasuke's concerned look. She was now one hundred percent sure that Sasuke was extremely worried for her sake.

Sasuke rake his fingers through his scalp in frustration. "I'm sorry for yelling.", he told her as he sat back down on the bench.

"N-No! I'm sorry for making you worry.", She told him in a way that assured him she wasn't angry or anything.

Sakura also took her seat again beside him. This time they were closer to each other. "And thank you for your concern. Now that I think about it, I haven't thanked you yet for what you did for me at the library back then. And I'm also really sorry Ami tried to get back at you. Sorry you got into a fight because of me."

Sasuke turned his face away from Sakura. "Don't think anything of it. It's over and done with anyway."

Sakura smiled at Sasuke's obvious bashfulness.

**['Don't think anything of it he says. Sheesh! He's the one getting all mad and worried here...**

Her eyes landed on the bruise on his cheek.

**...even though he's also the one who got himself hurt.']**

Sakura sighed.

She leaned forward towards Sasuke. "Still. Thank you Sasuke-kun."

...

Sakura had intended to kiss the bruise on his cheek. NOT, the corners of his lips as he suddenly turned to face her.

Sakura pushed herself off the bench and backed away a few steps, hands on her mouth. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to k-kiss you there! I was gonna tease you by kissing the 'boo-boo' out of your bruise - or something like that!", she claimed.

And realization hit her. "Kiss?! That doesn't really count as a kiss. Right?

"No! No it doesn't", Sasuke was suddenly assuring her. "That definitely doesn't count. I- I would know. I mean-"

The bus arrived and Sakura was just very grateful for its timing.

"That's my bus! I- I gotta go!" She awkwardly walked backwards as she excused herself.

"A-Aa." Sasuke stood up reluctantly then started rubbing his hands on the sides of his pants.

"Well then. Bye. See you later.", bid Sakura before clumsily making her way to the bus.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura got on the bus but instead of finding a window seat adjacent to the shed like she always had, she opted for a seat on the other side of the bus.

She flopped down and shrank into her seat. Sakura slid as low as she could while covering her face with her hands.

**['No! This isn't happening!']**

Sakura's right hand slid down to her chest. She felt her heart beating so fast.

**['Is it because of the kiss?...**

She mentally slapped herself.

**...No! That wasn't a kiss. We both agreed!']**

Then she realized that this wasn't the first time her heart had thumped so loudly because of Sasuke.

**['This- I've felt like this before because of him.']**

She started counting back the memories of him that made her heart race and pound so loudly.

…

A few moments ago, when he was checking her for injury...

When he told her that she looked best with her hair down...

Earlier in the day, when he grabbed her from behind in order to cover her eyes...

When she realized she was holding his hand for such a long time.

Every time he picks up her call in the morning...

Multiple times when they were out on that 'friendly' date...

When she ran towards him and ended up embracing him from behind...

When she learned that it was him in front of her door...

That night he had almost reached for her cheeks only for her to slap his hand away...

The brief unintentional moment they stared at each other while holding one another...

The first time she heard him laugh and she turned around to catch him smiling...

Whenever she inhaled his scent...

The moments they shared during her visit to his dormitory...

When he fell on top of her...

The first time he called her 'Sakura'...

In the classroom, As she was staring at him while he was talking about Sasori...

The first time she had a good look at his handsome features...

Their proximity at the library...

When he apologized to her at the infirmary while holding out her bowtie...

Finding herself face to face with him as she opened the door...

Yelling 'Sasuke-kun' at the top of her lungs and watching him stop and turn around looking for her...

When he held his handkerchief to her nose...

Meeting his gaze as she stood outside the hallway as punishment for being late...

The first time she heard his voice...

The first time their eyes met...

…

Since the day Uchiha Sasuke became a part of her life.

**['Since day one.']**

Sakura gasped at the realization.

**...**

**/"Sakura can like whoever she likes!..."/**

**...**

**/"…Was there ever something that I wanted for myself?"/**

**...**

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. All she saw was-

**['Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke. _ Haruno Sakura you are so FUCKED!']**

* * *

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

Sakura turned on her right as she tried to get more comfortable on the couch.

The sound of giggles coming from Ino's bedroom can be heard all the way to the dimly lit living room.

"Stop that!", Ino giggled. "Hey-"

"Shhh! We're gonna wake her up."

"Then don't do that.", Ino whispered. "I said-"

Sakura reached for her smart phone and earphones on the coffee table.

She quickly put the ear speakers on before she could here anymore.

She opened the app and played a random song from her playlist.

The first few notes informed Sakura just what song was playing. She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled her blanket over her head.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_Noir_ **

…

_I can't control my feelings_

_I can't control my thoughts_

_I'm staring at the ceiling_

_Wondering how I got so caught_

_You're completely off limits_

_For more reasons than just one_

_But I can't stop_

_You're aware of my existence_

_But you don't know I'm here_

_You're the center of attention_

_You control the atmosphere_

_You're so busy being busy,_

_I don't want to interfere_

_But I can't stop_

_So I'll remain within your reign_

_Until my thoughts can travel somewhere new_

_My mind is blind to everything but you_

_And I wonder if you wonder about me too_

_If you were to stop talking_

_I don't know what I'd do_

_The future's far less daunting_

_Walking into it with you_

_So drink 'til you can't think and_

_Pretend I'm what you choose_

_'Cause I can't stop_

_So I'll remain within your reign_

_Until my thoughts can travel somewhere new_

_My mind is blind to everything but you_

_My mind is blind to everything but you_

_And I wonder if you wonder about me_

_So I'll remain within your reign_

_Until my thoughts can travel somewhere new_

_My mind is blind to everything but you_

_And I wonder if you wonder about me too_

_(WONDER - Lauren Aquilina)_

…

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_TBC_ **


	19. 5.1

**(5.1)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _I never really intended to know more about him."_**

**_Noir_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

_("Forehead~!")_

Green eyes open. The girl with rose gold hair awakened.

"Forehead!", Ino called her.

Sakura blinked the haze out of her eyes. "I-Ino?"

"Waky, waky~!"

"Wh- What the?! Where... What day is it?"

"Todays the big day, silly. Did you have too many beers last night?!"

"Uh, No! I'm okay."

"Are you sure?", Ino looked at her worriedly.

"Yeah!", Sakura sat up. "I just need coffee in me."

"Come on then! Sai made breakfast.", she invited her.

Sakura stood up from the couch and followed Ino to the dining area.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura joined Sai on the table as Ino poured her coffee.

"Thanks." she smiled at Ino.

Ino then sat down beside Sai. "Shikamaru will have his car in front by 6. We only have until then to get ready.", she announced.

Sakura nodded then lowered her gaze on to her mug.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

She stared at her reflection on the dark liquid while Sasori was telling a story.

"I'm telling you whenever me and my dormmates are drinking, all they ever talk about is their girlfriends. They whine and complain and tell me how lucky I am to be single. Of course I tell them, I have you and… well, they don't get it at first but that's because they're not me. They're not us. I tell them all about you and they're like, I'm so lucky I have such an understanding and supportive girl in my life-" Sasori paused. His smile weakens as he stared at Sakura.

Sakura had been holding her coffee cup for a while now - turning and tilting it every now and then. Despite the attention she was giving it, she didn't seem like she would be drinking from it anytime soon.

Sakura wiped the lipgloss stain on the corner of her cup.

"Sakura.", Sasori called her. "Sakura?"

"Yeah?!", Sakura looked away from the ceramic ware. "Wh- Sorry what's that?"

"Is... everything okay? You seemed... troubled."

"Oh.", Sakura couldn't keep her eyes on him so she looked around the coffee shop instead. "It's... nothing!"

"Is this because... of what happened last night?"

"HUH?!" Sakura finally looked at the boy in front of her.

Sasori wore a red t-shirt, khaki shorts, and summer sandals.

"Your parents didn't even pretend to be happy about the results of the finals, did they?"

"OH. W- Er..."

"Don't worry about it Sakura. I mean, what's new, right?", implied Sasori.

"Y-Yeah."

"No point in being upset over that. You just focus on beating the Hyuuga kid and I'm sure everything will eventually work out."

Sakura nodded.

"Or is it..."

"Hm?"

"Because you're upset with me?"

"What? Why would I-"

"Look, I know you put so much work into revising my practice thesis but-"

"That's not it-"

"No, listen." Sasori rested his elbows on the table so he could reach Sakura's hands. He had her let go of her cup once and for all.

Sakura cast her gaze down at their joined hands.

**…**

**/"...these cold hands are the ones I'm entitled to hold."/**

**…**

"I'm sorry I couldn't use it.", he continued. "It's not that I don't appreciate your hard work or that what you did was not good. It's just that... it was so good, actually. So good, that it could work as a stand-alone idea. It would have diverted any reader's attention from my proposed project to other complex topics so. ... Besides, no one's going to believe I wrote that.", Sasori chuckled.

Sakura lifted her gaze and stared at Sasori's smiling face.

"But I did use it as a reference and I... eventually finished. Your suggestion about adjusting the design was also very brilliant and my professor thought that it could work."

"I-I'm glad.", Sakura smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"So, you're not upset with me?"

"No! I'm glad I was able to help as much."

Sasori smiled back at her. "By the way."

"Hm?"

"Is this something I have to get use to?"

"What?"

"Your new look?" Sasori let go of her hand to reach out for Sakura's hair. He brushed some strands behind her ear.

Sakura blushed. "Oh. Uhm, I was eventually going to drop the braids when I'm in college anyway... Is it... weird? Does it not suit me after all?" she anxiously combed her hair with her fingers.

"No. You're beautiful. I was just wondering why you're suddenly wearing it like that."

"Oh. I'll have to tie my hair up at work starting tomorrow.", she suddenly shared.

"I see." Sasori's expression closed up. "You know, I'm still not very happy about the idea of you working at an open mic bar during the night, especially since you're doing it to pay another boy's debt."

"But it was my idea. Sasuke-kun won't even have that debt if it weren't for me.", she reasoned.

Sasori pulled away and leaned back on his seat at the mention of his name.

"And I owe him as much. He's put up with my selfishness for the past weeks... D-Didn't I already tell you the whole story?", she added.

"Yes. You did. About, how you chased after him the first couple of weeks until he gave in and complied with the pairing. And that you feel guilty for making him spend hours studying with you even though he rarely have enough time to sleep because he has to work in order to support himself."

"Yes. That's why I proposed this deal. So he had more time to study and rest."

"And after this summer... you'll be done with him right? New term. New pairings."

"Y-Yeah."

"Okay. Just... five more weeks and... he's out of your life, right?"

"Y-Yes."

Sasori's phone suddenly rang.

"Excuse me.", he told her before answering the call.

**['Five more weeks and he's out of my life.']**

Sakura stared at Sasori as he was talking on the phone.

…

**/"I know Sasuke's gorgeous and all. It's normal to be attracted to him. What you're going through is just a phase. It'll pass as soon as you realize that it's just physical attraction.**

**Sasori however, he's the man of your dreams, remember? He loves you, you know that!**

**Don't let go of what you have with Sasori over an infatuation."/**

…

**['Ino's right.']**

…

**/"Anyway it's only for this summer. After that, you're finally gonna be free of him. Surely, whoever you get paired with in the next term can't be as much trouble as him... I'm sure whoever it is, you'll do an even better job since Sasuke was like... the most difficult to deal with. I really hope you beat Neji. No! You're definitely going to place first! And then, your parents will just have to let you move with me to Tokyo.**

**Then, it will be just you, me and Sasori. Like always!"/**

…

**['Besides, Sasuke-kun... He's cheering me on.']**

…

**/"So, what's the plan? What are you going to do now?"/**

**/"I still don't know. I'm not sure how to make a compromise... but-"/**

**/"You want to be with him."/**

**/"Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"**

**/"For being romantically motivated? It's not my place to judge..."/**

**/"If you really want to beat Hyuuga, don't neglect your own studies."/**

…

**['And... he already has someone else.']**

…

**/"It's not the first time I spent money to take a girl out-"/**

…

**['I'm not really sure but... No. It's for the best that he does. For his sake... and mine as well.']**

Sakura smiled at Sasori just as he put his phone away. "What was that about?"

"My old pal back in high school. They heard I was home and want to hang out. But, they said that today is the only day all of us will be available to meet. They're not sure if we'll have another chance like this."

"Today?"

"Yeah. As in... now."

"Right now?"

"Can I? They said it's okay even if I stay for just a couple of hours."

"Uhm~"

"Tell you what. How about I take you to Ino's and you two hang out for a while? I'll just meet up with my friends real quick. I'll just show myself and I'll come see you again later. I'll bring food and a movie. The three of us can have a movie night like old days, hm? What do you say?"

"Well, if you're going to be quick, can't I just tag along?", Sakura suggested.

"Oh. It's just us boys so..."

"Okay. I understand."

"Cool. Thanks. So, ready to go?"

"Yeah."

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Welcome~!"

Sakura was greeted by Ino - who was wearing a purple t-shirt and crop pants under a green apron - as she entered the flower shop.

"Oh, hi Sakura."

"Hi Ino. I came to hang out. Hope that's okay."

"It's fine but… I thought you and Sasori are going out on a date?"

"We are-were just together.", said Sakura as she closed the door behind her. "He drove me here."

"The date is done already? Why didn't he come in with you?", wondered Ino. She then stood from her chair and went to the back room.

"He has to meet with his friends real quick. But he'll come back later with food and a movie.", Sakura yelled loud enough for Ino to hear.

"Really? That's great!" Ino came back with a stool. She placed it beside her chair and offered Sakura to sit beside her. "Want some tea?"

"No thank you. We just had coffee." Sakura joined Ino behind the counter.

Ino took in Sakura's look as she sat down. She wore a light blue blouse, white and blue floral shorts and white sandals. "Want me to help you braid your hair?", Ino offered.

"Huh? Oh no. I'm keeping it like this."

"So you intended that hairstyle for today. But didn't Sasori prefer your hair braided?"

"Yeah. He said it reminded him of the dolls his grandmother makes. But... I'm dropping the braids starting today."

"I see." Ino shrugged. "Suits you."

"Thanks."

"Maybe you should drop the hairclips too. How about a headband instead?"

"Uh no." Sakura reached for her hairclips. "I like it like this better."

The sound of the bell caught their attention and the two of them turned to look at the door.

"Welcome- Karin? Naruto?"

Ino and Sakura were surprised to see them.

Naruto was wearing an orange t-shirt, black cargo shorts and a pair of men's summer sandals. Karin wore a grey crop sweater, denim shorts and her pair of black high cut converse.

"Good afternoon ladies!" Naruto grinned. "Wow! You look... great Sakura-chan! That hairstyle! Really works for you."

"Good afternoon to you too, Naruto. Thanks.", Sakura greeted back. "Hi Karin."

"So, what brings the two of you here?", wondered Ino.

"Naruto and I are going to run an errand and I thought I stop by to bring these.", answered Karin, raising her shopper for emphasis. "I brought your bags and uniforms. Good thing Sakura's here too."

"Thanks!" / "Thank you."

The two girls stood up and met them halfway.

"Are you two in a hurry? How about tea?", Ino offered as she accepted the shopper.

"We are in kind of a hurry so, no thanks.", Karin told her.

"Ah! Hold on! Mind if I used your toilet? I actually need to go so bad!", Naruto proclaimed.

"S-Sure. It's this way.", Ino led him towards the back. She placed the shopper on top of the counter as she passed it.

"Thanks! Excuse me Sakura-chan.", said Naruto as he followed her.

"Hurry up Naruto!", Karin demanded.

"Oh, I just remembered. Since you're already here, I'll return the clothes you lent me." Ino told Karin as she let Naruto go through the door first. "I'll go get it now."

"Oh. Okay.", said Karin.

"Sakura. Mind the store for a sec? I'll be quick.", Ino pleaded.

"Sure." Sakura nodded at Ino then turned to Karin. "Sorry. I didn't bring your clothes with me today. I was going to hand it to you tomorrow night at work."

"That's fine. So, what's your schedule?"

"Oh." Sakura took out her phone and checked her messages. "Orochimaru-san said; '3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday ... through Thursday. Then, '3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. during Fridays' and '3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. during Saturdays'. ", she read. "Sundays is my day off, which is really perfect. I get to go home early on Saturday nights so I'm not too tired to spend my Sundays with Sasori.", she added.

"Uh-huh. Just as Sasuke-kun requested.", noted Karin. "Mine is three pm to seven pm. My day off is on Tuesdays."

"Uhm, what do you mean... as Sasuke-kun requested?", Sakura inquired.

"Sasuke-kun was the one who suggested our schedules. He requested Orochimaru-san to assign your day-off on Sundays and to let you off early the night before. 'Sunday is Sasori day' after all, right?"

**['Oh.']**

Sakura nodded.

"And as for me, Dad doesn't want me to tire myself out since I still have to help in the hospital so I can only work there for four hours.", continued Karin.

**['Even though we were supposed to work there to help him out, he's still finding ways to make it more convenient for us.']**

"That's very... kind of Sasuke-kun. And very considerate of Orochimaru-san. "

"Yeah. The bar is actually open from five pm to three am but Sasuke-kun requested to have the two of us work there only during the early hours so we don't have to stay out too late or deal with drunk customers.", noted Karin. "We just have to help clean up the place and set things up for the opening. Then work a few hours waiting tables. … Naruto's sorry he can't help us, by the way. Dad wants him to focus on summer school so~"

"It's okay. Tell him not to worry about it. So, What's Sasuke-kun's... schedule?"

"He said his shift begins at 5:00 pm" Karin sighed. "I leave at seven so I only get to spend two hours at work with him."

"Well at least you get to see him six days a week even though it's summer break.", Sakura cheered her up.

"Yeah! You're right." Karin smiled. "Are you gonna be okay there on your own after I leave two hours earlier than you."

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I'll manage. Everyone seems nice so... plus Sasori said he'll pick me up every night."

"That's good. Besides, Sasuke-kun will be there until closing time so he'll probably make sure nothing wrong happens to you until your boyfriend gets there."

"He's not-"

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

"I'm back.", said Ino as she walked in. Ino placed the pair if gladiator shoes on the floor and laid the clothes on top of the counter. She pulled out her and Sakura's things from out of Karin's shopper and replaced it with Karin's shoes and clothes. Then she walked towards Karin and handed the shopper back to her. "Here you go."

Karin nodded to her as she accepted the shopper.

"Okay. I'm ready!", yelled Naruto from the back. "So~", he said as he showed himself. "I'm ready to shop for the party!"

"Party?", wondered Ino. "What party?"

"Sasuke's!", Naruto answered despite Karin's gestures for him to keep his mouth shut. "You know how we weren't able to celebrate his birthday last Thursday because we only made up yesterday. And, since everyone will be busy with work or summer school starting tomorrow, we're having the party today."

"Oh yeah, It was his birthday." Ino looked at Sakura. "But the celebration is… today?"

**['I didn't know.']**

Ino fell silent sensing Sakura's mood.

"Yep!" Naruto grinned. "I thought we would have a hard time convincing him to let us throw a party for him but to our surprise he said it was okay."

Karin palmed her face.

"But it's going to be a small party. You know how Sasuke is so it's just me, Karin, Kakashi-sensei and some others.", continued Naruto. "Too bad you can't come Sakura-chan because you already have plans today."

"Did Sasuke-kun say that?", asked Sakura.

"Er...", Karin was about to say something but-

"Yes.", confirmed Naruto.

"He... I wasn't invited. I wasn't even informed."

"Uhm. Sasuke-kun said not to invite you because it's Sunday and... You know!", Karin explained.

"What? He didn't invite you?!", Naruto seemed shock. "Well... Was he wrong? Are you free after all?"

"No!", Ino joined. "We do have plans. We're watching a movie with Sasori."

"Saso...ri... huh?", said Naruto. "See? Sasuke was just... being considerate of you."

"Right.", Sakura shrugged.

"Yeah. So don't get upset.", said Karin.

"I'm not! Why would I be upset?!", Sakura chuckled.

"Riiiight~ Okay then. We... are- We're just gonna go. Come on Naruto." Karin pulled his hand. "Bye Ino. See you at work Sakura."

"Bye!", bid Ino as the two walked towards the door.

"Yeah! See you at work.", Sakura waved at them. She turned to look at Ino with her lips pressed together then turned to look at the other two again "Oh! Uhm. Enjoy! Have fun at... Sasuke-kun's birthday party!", she yelled.

"Yup! We will-", Naruto yelled back. "Ouch!"

Karin pulled Naruto - by his ear - out through the door. "You err... enjoy... watching that movie... I guess.", yelled Karin before closing the door behind her.

...

As soon as Naruto and Karin were gone, Sakura stomped back to her stool. She flopped down then crossed her arms. "He could've tried asking me. I could've made time for him.", she scowled.

"Would you?", Ino asked her. "I think he knows you well enough to understand that parties aren't your thing."

"But... It's his _birthday_."

**['Which I was completely unaware of.']**

I would've gone. He's my friend too."

"He is. That's why he intended for you to spend time with Sasori instead of him.", Ino noted as she sat beside her.

"But it would've been fine. I mean, Sasori ended the date early to hang out with his friends."

"Would you like to go then?"

"Huh?!" Sakura looked at Ino.

"If we cancelled, would you go to his party?"

"N- Why would we cancel because of him? Of course I'd rather spend time with you and Sasori."

"Okay. Without cancelling then?"

"Hm?"

"We won't cancel. But we will give you time to make an appearance; an hour or more."

"That's not necessary! It's not even really his birthday today anyway. It was last thursday.

**['Which I wouldn't have known if Naruto hadn't brought it up.']**

I can just send him an e-mail or greet him tomorrow at work. Besides, if he didn't think it was necessary for me to be there then it's really okay that I'm not there. It's his party. It's up to him who he spends it with."

"If you say so.", Ino leaned her elbows on the counter so she could lean her chin on her hands. "You know? Sasuke's actually a pretty nice guy."

"Y-Yeah."

...

**['Now that I think about it, I don't know him that well at all. My initial idea of who he was, were based on what Ino gathered about him. I wouldn't have even asked about him if I hadn't been paired with him and everything I heard turned out to be wrong.**

**Everything I know about him now, is just from the bits and pieces of information shared by Kakashi-sensei, Karin and Naruto. And from the bits and pieces of information he chose to share about himself.**

**I thought I knew him better. I assumed that I knew him well enough. But that's not the case at all.**

**There's so much I don't know. And the reason I still don't know so much about him... is because Sasuke-kun has chosen to not tell me everything.**

**And because... I didn't care enough.**

**I asked to be friends but...**

**It's kind of funny how I realized this only because I just learned of his birthday. But, the fact that I never thought about it;**

**I didn't know. I didn't ask. Was I even going to?**

**How could I let myself believe that I... 'like' him when… I never really intended to know more about him?**

**Approaching him for the sake of the pairing, wanting to be friends with him, or even liking him. Was it really all because it was convenient for me?**

**Would I care or at least pretend to care as much about him when we are no longer partners? Would I even still matter to him then, now that his friends with Naruto again?**

**Is this really all we ever were? Is this really all we're going to be? _Temporary confidants_. It's like we were only each other's company inside a shared shelter during a storm.**

**If so, then I hope this storm quickly passes so we can just be off on or own way.**

**I hope summer ends soon so things can just go back to the way they were.**

**Back when it was only Naruto and Karin and Kakashi-sensei and his family and whoever that girl is that was a part of his world.**

**And back when I only thought about Sasori.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Welcome to _Sound Country_ ~!", Sakura greeted the customer. "Oh, Naruto."

"Hey, Sakura-chan!", Naruto greeted back as he walked inside the bar wearing his school uniform. "The uniform suits you."

Sakura was wearing a black kimono inspired apron dress which uses a thick rope for an obi. The collar, right side of the front and the cuffs were decorated with silver quaver note patterns. The left sleeve, as well as the miniskirt, was in the color of the employee's choosing. Sakura's was of course; red. She was also wearing a jewelled hair pin to hold her high bun. She still wore her hair clips but it was only to keep the left side of her hair in place. Her fringe and a few strand of hair were left to cascade on the right side of her face.

"Thanks. Did your classes just ended?"

"Yeah. Having summer school is really a bummer. I thought I'd check on you guys before I went home.", said Naruto as he looked around the place. "So, how's your first day at work?"

"No problems so far."

"HAH?!"

Sakura and Naruto turned their heads to look at Karin who just snarled at a customer.

"Quit acting like a flustered teenager and say your order louder so I can hear you!", she told the man.

"Y-Yes! Ma'am!", the customer told her before repeating his order.

Rather than being taken aback by her rough approach, he seemed to like it and was even enjoying the treatment.

"Be right back then.", the ponytailed redhead arrogantly excused herself from the customer.

"Looks like… Karin is also doing… fine.", Naruto commented.

"Y-Yeah. Her uhm... 'feisty' attitude seems to be popular with the customers.", Sakura shared as they watched Karin make her way to the counter.

Parading in her violet miniskirt and over the knee gladiator boots, Karin got a lot of heads turning towards her.

...

"Oi! Are you gonna order or what?!", Suigetsu sneered at one of those distracted customers who was staring at the exposed skin of Karin's thigh.

"Huh, Oh… r-right.", the customer seemed apologetic but was still stealing glances at Karin even when he was reading the menu.

"Tck!", Suigetsu clucked as he irritably waited on that particular table.

…

"A-Anyway, where's Sasuke?", wondered Naruto.

"Oh, he…", Sakura turned to look at one of the empty tables. "He was just clearing a table a while ago. Maybe he went into the kitchen with the dirty dishes… I… think."

"Do you mind calling him out for me?" Naruto winked at her and flashed her a pleading grin.

"Y-Yeah. Okay. Wait here."

"No problem. Thanks Sakura-chan."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura joined Karin by the serving hatch as she patiently waited for the food she would serve the customer. "Naruto's here."

"Oh." Karin turned to find the blonde boy sitting at the table near the entrance. "What did he want?" She smiled at him as he waved at them.

"He's looking for Sasuke-kun."

"I see."

"Karin, can you serve this to the woman over there?", said Kabuto as he placed the sushi plate along with the Sake bottle and cup in a tray. "Kimimaru is taking his five."

"Why that slacker! We've been barely open for two hours and he's already taking a break.", Karin complained.

"Uhm~ I'll do it. I'm not doing anything at the moment.", Sakura offered.

"Nah. I got this. My shift ends in a few minutes anyway. You still have more than two hours to go.", said Karin before she took the tray and left.

"K-Kabuto-san.", Sakura called him before he went back to his work.

"Hm?", the cook acknowledged her.

"Is Sasuke-kun still there in the kitchen?"

"I just asked him to throw away the garbage." Tayuya announced as she peeked from behind Kabuto. "He's in the back if you need him."

"I see. Thanks." Sakura excused herself just as Suigetsu trudged towards them and slammed an order slip on the counter.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura peeked out of the service door and saw Sasuke putting garbage bags on the trash bin. He wore the same uniform as Suigetsu; the male counterpart of her Kimono - an oriental tunic. The quaver notes on his tunic were midnight blue.

…

**/"You know... I keep forgetting that you're one of the kids born with a silver spoon."/**

**/"And how should I take that comment?"/**

**/"As a compliment!"/**

…

This recollection led to another.

…

**/"Paintball? … What would you have done if I chose to wear a dress?"/**

**/"I would've gotten a good laugh out of seeing your reaction."/**

**/"Still bored?"/**

**/"If you're happy then show it."**

**/"So, what's the verdict?"/**

**/"Real enough."/**

…

The memory of holding each other's hands as they stood made her take a step back inside. She leaned her back on the wall just beside the door.

…

**/"Ne, Sasuke-kun."/**

**/"W-What?"/**

**/"Let's be friends?"/**

**/"Aa."/**

…

**['I know I said that but...']**

…

**/"…Was there ever something that I wanted for myself?"/**

…

[' **Uchiha Sasuke.']**

Sakura shook her head.

**['Didn't I already decided that I would just go back to the way things were as soon as summer is over? Dammit Sakura! Get yourself together. You've already got Sasori.']**

"Sakura?", Sasuke noticed her as he walked in.

Sakura gasped and quickly turned to look at him.

"Sorry to startle you. What were you doing there?"

And then, she blushed as she recalled accidentally kissing him on the corner of his lips.

"I-I-I… N-Naruto!", she quickly averted her eyes.

"Naruto?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"He's here! H-He came to see you! He's w-waiting for you out there!"

"Okay.", said Sasuke as he made a move to head back inside.

"B-by the way!", Sakura reluctantly called him.

"Aa." He stopped.

"B-belated happy birthday."

"A-ah. Thanks. … Sak-"

"T-That's all I wanted to say! I'm g-going back to work now!", she said before running away from him.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	20. 5.2

**(5.2)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _I'm sorry for being selfish."_**

**['…The heck was that?!']**

Sakura ended up running into the restroom. Once inside, she approached the lavatory. As soon as she saw her reflection in the vanity mirror, she immediately washed her face in order to cool down her warm cheeks.

**['Five more weeks.']**

Sakura let the droplets of water fall from her face to the sink.

**[Just five more weeks.']**

She sighed heavily.

Karin suddenly walked in.

"Sakura?"

"H-Hey Karin?" Sakura slowly raised her head and forced a smile on her face. "Oh, your shift is almost over, right? Are you going to go home now?"

"No.", said Karin. "Kimimaru isn't feeling well so Orochimaru-san sent him home. I'll be staying until Zaku and Kin Tsuchi gets here.

"Zaku and Kin Tsuchi?"

"Yeah. That idiotic white-haired, sharped-toothed boy is also going home early tonight it seems."

"His name is Suigetsu."

"Whatever. So, what were you doing just now? Don't tell me you're tired already? Come on now, Sakura. This whole thing was your idea."

"I'm okay. My face just got itchy because of the make-up Tayuya applied on my face."

"I see."

"Well, I better hurry up.", Sakura took some tissues from the dispenser to wipe her face dry. "Sasuke-kun is talking to Naruto at the moment, right?"

"Yeah.", Karin nodded.

"And we're both in here so Suigetsu is probably going insane, dealing with all of the customers on his own.

"Who cares?!", Karin scoffed.

"Come on now. Don't be like that. He's a co-worker and Sasuke-kun's roommate."

"Fine!", Karin scowled. "But I'm only going to be nice to him during work hours."

"T-That's a start I guess.

**['I'm also trying my best here.']**

Oh, well. I'll go ahead first." Sakura threw the tissues into the trash bin then went her way.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Two hours later-

"Urgh~ I'm beat!", Sakura slammed her forehead on the table. "My feet hurt from standing up for so long."

**['What was I thinking?!']**

She glanced at Karin who was sitting opposite her on the table. She was touching up her make-up.

"Wow Karin! You're amazing! How can you not be tired after four hours of running around here and there, waiting on people?"

"This is nothing compared to a hectic day in the hospital."

"…You're right, I supposed." Sakura raised her head.

"But, it is remarkable how everyone else here can work until three am. So this is why Sasuke-kun is often unable to come to school in the morning."

Sakura weakly nodded. "No wonder he got sick when I made him come to school regularly."

"Good work the two of you.", Orochimaru greeted them as he went inside the break room.

"Orochimaru-san~"

"Not bad for your first day of work.", he added.

'Thank you." / "Thanks."

"Here, have something to eat and drink before you go home."

Tayuya was behind Orochimaru carrying a tray with her. She served Sakura and Karin tea.

Soon, Suigetsu joined them. "Zaku and Kin Tsuchi are here so I'm heading out as well.", he announced as he approached the table. "Thanks for the tea.", he said as he picked up one of the cups.

"Hey asshole, that's for Sakura!", Tayuya told him. "Can't you wait until I have yours prepared."

"It's fine. I'm not really thirsty.", said Sakura.

"See. It's okay.", Suigetsu beamed. "Thank you for the tea."

"Tck! Whatever shitty moron! You're welcome.", she scowled.

"Not you! I'm thanking Sakura for giving me her tea."

"Jerk!", Tayuya stuck her nose in the air.

Suigetsu ignored her and helped himself with the tea. He drank from the cup at the same time Karin drank from hers.

They both winced at the same time after the both of them burned their tongues on the scalding hot tea. They both blew air at their drink a few times before attempting to drink again. The both of them found that their tea had gone a little bit cooler and helped themselves to a few generous gulps before setting their cups on the table.

"What?!", Suigetsu asked when he noticed how Sakura, Orochimaru and Tayuya were staring at him and Karin.

"It's nothing." Orochimaru smiled. "I'll head back now. Sakura. Karin. Thank you again for your hard work and get home safe you two."

The two girls nodded.

"You too Suigetsu.", he said before leaving them.

"Yep.", he told him before turning to a grinning Tayuya. "So, what was that all about?"

"It's just that, the more we look at you and Karin the more we think that the two of you would make a great couple. In fact, you two already look like a couple. You even have matching uniforms."

"What?!" / "Nonsense!"

"We _all_ have matching uniforms. Even Orochimaru-san wears a tunic here. You, Kimimaru and Kabuto-san, who works in the kitchen, are the only exemption.", Suigetsu argued.

"But you both chose the same color."

"How is this the same color?", he protested. "Mine is clearly blue-violet!"

"Yeah! Mine is red-violet!", joined Karin, standing up.

"I don't know, they both just look purple to me.", said Tayuya.

"Something is wrong with your eyes!"~

-Karin and Suigetsu chorused. Then they glanced at each other irritably and quickly looked away.

"Kin Tsuchi thinks so too."

"Then the both of _you_ have eye problems!"~

-the two yelled in unison again. And then, they turned to face each other.

"Quit talking at the same time as me!"~

"Stop it!"~

"NO! _You_ stop it!"~

"Wow. You two are synchronized.", Tayuya remarked.

"That's not true!"~

"Enough of this! I'm leaving.", Suigetsu excused himself.

"See you around shitty moron~!"

"By the way, Sasuke stepped out for a while. If Orochimari-san looks for him, just tell him he's taking a ten.", he instructed before leaving the room.

"Got it.", Tayuya noted. "Well, I'll go back into the kitchen now as well. See you girls tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Sakura gave her a smile before Tayuya made her exit.

"So, Sasuke-kun's not here." Karin sounded disappointed. "I was hoping we could get a picture together before I change out of this uniform."

A vein popped in Karin's temple as she remembered the issue with the uniform. "Aargh~ Why did I have to choose this _color_?! Why didn't I just match Sasuke-kun instead, knowing what color he likes?! I'm so stupid! Now, they're going to keep teasing me with Suigetsu! What if Sasuke-kun gets jealous?!", she ranted.

"Tayuya and Kin Tsuchi seem like they enjoy messing with Suigetsu but I don't think they can keep teasing you about it.", Sakura comforted her. "I mean, it shouldn't mean anything other than giving us the opportunity to wear the uniform in our preferred color. Jugo's uniform was red orange but they're not teasing the both of us about it."

"Yeah. You're right.", Karin considered. "Well. I'm going to go change now. How about you?"

"I…"

"Did you want your boyfriend to see you in that?"

"Huh?"

"He's on his way to pick you up right?"

"Y-Yeah. But … No. I'm also changing." Sakura stood up and followed Karin as she walked towards the woman's locker room.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Are you sure? Don't you want to give him some _service_?", inquired Karin as they entered the room.

"No~!", Sakura retorted, closing the door behind her. "Besides… This… isn't his thing."

"Right! Your boyfriend is into 'loli' right?"

"Eh?!"

"It's so obvious. Your hair; the childish braids. Your fashion style; fairy tale inspired one piece dresses if not baby doll tops. Not to mention…" Karin stared at Sakura's chest. "Your physique."

Sakura felt the need to cover herself for some reason.

"No need to feel embarrassed. It's normal for you to dress yourself in the way that would best please the boy you love. I'd do it too if I only knew what Sasuke's type is.", Karin told her with a straight face. "Besides~"

Karin jumped on Sakura and began feeling her up.

"Kyaa~!"

"It's small but there's definitely a soft mound here."

"No! … Ah~!"

"Sakura you're so cute. I bet your boyfriend is doing his best holding himself back just to keep you pure."

"Don't touch me there~! Stop that!"

"Yes. Please stop!", Suigetsu's voice came from the men's locker room next door. "I'm right here."

"S-S-Suigetsu?!", Sakura was flustered. "Y-You heard that?"

"Whoops.", Karin deadpanned.

"Kariiin~!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Karin walked out of the establishment.

She kept her ponytail and was wearing a denim jacket over her white dress, leggings, and a pair of white sneakers. She also had a red sling bag.

Karin wore a dark grey crop top, black ripped jeans and a pair of black floral shoes.

"Well, he's here.", Sakura motioned for Sasori who was leaning on his motorcycle, waiting for her in the parking area. He wore a dark blue three-quarter-sleeved sweater over a black long-sleeved shirt, cropped skinny jeans and a pair of dark blue espadrilles.

"So that's Sasori?", Suigetsu appeared behind them.

The two girls gasped.

'What the hell?! You're still here!", Karin snapped at him.

"Didn't you go home ahead of us.", wondered Sakura.

"Huh~?! Did you get yourself off after hearing our conversation?!", Karin insinuated "Is that why you took just as long as us to get change?!"

"Shut up! What is wrong with that mouth of yours? Don't you have a filter?!"

"Look Sakura. He's not even denying it.", Karin noted.

"… Can't we all just… pretend nothing was said, heard or done a while ago?", Sakura pleaded.

"Deal."~

-Karin and Suigetsu once again spoke at the same time.

Karin rolled her eyes and Suigetsu just muttered; 'Whatever.'

"I'll see you guys tomorrow.", said Sakura, trying to sound cheerful.

"Yeah." / "See you."

Karin turned on her heal and walked away. While looking at the shadows and paying attention to the sound of the footsteps, she realized she wasn't alone.

She looked back and saw Suigetsu walking a few feet behind her.

She stopped and so did he.

"Are you following me?!"

"No idea what you're talking about."

Karin continued walking and Suigetsu started moving again as well. Then she stopped again and he halted too.

"Let me guess. We're headed in the same direction?"

"Maybe?"

A vein popped in her head. "Walked on ahead of me then."

"I'm not really in a hurry."

"Didn't you needed to be relieved at work because you have some sort of engagement?!"

"Something like that."

"Then hurry up and just go already. I'm letting you walk pass me."

"Are you going home now?"

"That's none of your business."

…

No one moved.

…

Karin got impatient and eventually took another step forward. Suigetsu did the same but Karin faked her next step and turned around catching Suigetsu by surprise.

The two of them ended up looking at each other; face to face. Karin rested her hands on her hips.

"What's your problem?!", she snapped.

"Look! A lot of sketchy and most probably drunk people wander around this area. I just thought I'd watch your back at least until you make it pass this block… or get a ride… or something.", he explained.

"…Oh. OH!" Karin looked away. "Well, t-that's… thoughtful of you I guess. But, I can take care of myself.", said Karin as she adjusted her glasses.

"I'm sure you can. But still- Oooof!" Suigetsu flinched as Karin had kicked his leg.

"YOU?! What the hell was that for?!", he snarled.

"Because you suddenly made it weird you- … I'm going ahead!", she yelled back as she ran away.

"Weird?!" he tried to straighten himself. "You're the one who's weird!", he shouted at Karin's retreating form. "Tck!", he clucked as he soothed the pain on his leg.

...

Sakura saw everything from where she stood close to Sasori.

"Suigetsu?", she yelled. "Are you okay? Need help?"

"NAH! I'm fine! Bye." Suigetsu yelled back as he walked away hiding his limp.

"What was that all about?", wondered Sasori.

"They kind of hate each other."

"Hate each other? Didn't you see that chemistry between them?"

"Wha-?! No way! Karin likes Sasuke-kun so~!"

"Oh, she does now? I… see. I… must've been wrong then."

"Uh-huh."

"So, ready?", Sasori held out the spare helmet.

"Yeah."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasori had to stop for a red light before he could even get to the main street.

They were patiently waiting for the lights to turn green, when he caught a familiar face on his left peripheral vision.

"Isn't that Sasuke..."

"Hm?" Sakura quickly whipped her head to the left.

"…with… his girlfriend?"

She saw him. It was indeed Sasuke. He was wearing a white t-shirt as he had removed his tunic and hung it over his right shoulder. He stood at the corner of that block with a woman who had her hand wrapped around his arm.

Sakura leaned forward trying to get a closer look.

The girl was a wearing a long black cardigan over a violet maxi dress. Her hair was tucked inside her black cloche hat but Sakura could tell from her sideburns that she had brown hair.

Sakura couldn't see her face clearly because of the hat but she could see the corners of her lips forming a sweet smile.

**['Sasuke-kun's… girlfriend.']**

Sakura then noticed that Sasuke was also smiling gently at her.

**['He's smiling. … Eh?! … My chest hurts. Oh, that's right. It's because I actually fell in love with him.']**

Sakura lowered her head.

Sasori glanced at his rear view mirror and got a good look at the painful smile that Sakura wore.

Sasuke hailed a taxi cab for the girl. When the taxi stopped in front of them, the girl had Sasuke face her.

**['So, he did have a girlfriend after all. Hehehe~']**

She moved closer and put her arms around his neck.

**['This is great. This way I can truly forget all my feelings for him. Ahaha~']**

Sasuke hugged her back.

**['My _feelings_? There, I can say it now… because… it really doesn't matter anymore.']**

She drew herself back and touched his cheeks.

**['Finally. I can just accept the fact that I can't have him and move on with my life.']**

Sasuke allowed himself to lean into her touch as he also held her hands.

**['That's right I can't have Sasuke-kun. He is…']**

She kissed him gently and quickly and from where Sakura was watching it looked like the kiss was on his lips.

**['…?!']**

The expression on Sakura's face closed up.

"Go."

"Huh?!", Sasori pardoned as he looked away from Sakura's reflection.

"The light is green. _Go_."

"Oh. Right." Sasori started his engine.

"GO!"

Sakura noticed that Sasuke turned his head just as Sasori quickly drove off.

**['He heard me. He saw us. He knows I saw everything. There's no turning back now. I can't pretend I didn't see him. I can't pretend this didn't happen.']**

"Sakura? What was _that_ just now?!"

"…"

" _Sakura?!_ "

"Take me to Ino."

"But it's getting late-"

" _Take me to Ino_ , NOW!"

"Sakura?"

"Please."

Sasori felt Sakura's hold on him get tighter. He sighed then changed roads.

"Thank you.", she whispered as she leaned her head between his shoulder blades.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"I saw her.", announced Sakura as soon as Ino - wearing an oversized black t-shirt and floral printed leggings - opened the door for her.

Ino blinked. "Saw who?"

"Sasuke-kun's girlfriend."

"Er… okay. You saw Sasuke's girlfriend and-"

"Well, technically Sasori saw them first."

"Sasori."

"Yep.", joined Sasori, coming behind Sakura.

"Sasori? You're here too?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Inside Ino's bedroom-

Ino sat on her bed while Sasori took a seat on the chair by her study table.

Sakura made use of the space between the bed and the study table by pacing back and forth.

"I knew it. I was right. He did have a girlfriend.", she blurted out.

"Sakura?"

"She was the girl Naruto was talking about back then."

" _Forehead?_!"

"Yeah?"

"What's the problem then?", Ino questioned her, glancing at Sasori. "If you already knew he had a girlfriend, how come actually seeing her seemed shocking to you?!"

Sasori shifted in his seat.

"I-I-" Sakura stopped pacing and she faced them. "Karin!"

**['I did it again.']**

"I just don't understand!", she reasoned. "Naruto knew about this girl. How can he let Karin continue to pursue Sasuke."

"Karin?!", Ino deadpanned.

**['I lied to them again.']**

"Yeah! She's in love with Sasuke-kun. Sasuke-kun knows that. Naruto knows that. But if Sasuke-kun had a girlfriend all this time, how can the both of them just let her go on with her one-sided love?!"

"You knew Karin was in love with Sasuke since forever. And you concluded that Sasuke had a girlfriend more than two weeks ago. Have you been worrying about this for that long already?", wondered Ino.

"Y-Yeah. I even told him not to keep leading Karin on if he was actually seeing someone seriously."

"So that's why you said that before."

"Said what, when?"

"You know, when you found out that someone gave Sasuke a love letter, you got all anxious."

Ino flinched as Sasori whipped his head towards her when she said that. Sasori looked at Sakura and Ino felt the need to hurry up and continue the rest of what she wanted to tell Sakura.

"I… er… You said;

**/"I haven't even decided whether to cheer for Karin or whoever _that girl_ is. The last thing I need right now is for another girl to join the equation!"/**

"Yes! Exactly!", exclaimed Sakura.

Ino sighed. "Forehead, to me, it seems like you're getting all worked up about this for nothing."

"Huh?"

"I mean, these are things you have no control over. I don't think you even know what the big picture really looks like."

"…"

"Remember what Sasuke told Naruto?"

**/"…he's my best friend... and I'd let him know first-hand before I make a move on a girl or accept ones confession."/**

"Sasuke probably admitted that he didn't like Karin the same way _she_ likes him. And Naruto respected that.", added Ino.

**/"But so much had happened and after spending a long time apart from each other, I realized we are our own person."/**

"And, for all we know, Karin might've been aware of the fact that Sasuke has a girlfriend all along!", Ino continued.

"Eh?"

"I mean she's known him for so long and she was the one who stayed in contact with him even after he and Naruto were avoiding each other."

"Y-You have a point.", Sakura considered.

"Besides, does Sasuke really seem like the type of guy who would lead a girl on, to you?"

**/" 'PS: I'm not a fanboy, so no worries okay.' "/**

"No. Sasuke-kun isn't like that." Sakura lowered her head.

"I'm sure Karin knows. She's just being honest with herself. She still loves him and she's not afraid to show him that she hasn't given up yet."

**['What the hell, I wasn't prepared to hear these words at all. But, if that really is the case, Karin is… really amazing.']**

"You're right.", Sakura concluded.

"So stop worrying about it, okay?

Sakura nodded.

**['Whatever. This isn't even the real reason why I'm upset.**

**I'm upset because… I can list down so many reasons why I can't like Sasuke-kun… and I told myself time and time again that I won't let go of what I have with Sasori… but… I couldn't I help it? Seeing him with _her,_ smiling back at her _,_ responding to her touch _,_ letting her… _kiss_ him… _It hurts_! It felt like my heart was going to explode! I hated the feeling!**

**But, of course, I couldn't tell them that! _'_ ]**

"Regardless of what's really going on between all of them…"

"…?"

"It's not like you're… _directly_ involved anyway, right?"

"..R-right-"

"No.", Sasori interjected. "If it really bothers you, then just _ask_ him."

"S-Sasori?"

"What are you saying Sasori-"

"It's important to her so…", Sasori interrupted Ino. "And I don't think it is wise let this one go with just the possibility of this Karin girl already… ' _knowing the truth_ '. Because if it turns out that she doesn't…" he sighed. "Can you two really live with the fact that you… allowed her to go on making a fool of herself?"

Ino fell silent.

**['Sasori… He….']**

He then turned to Sakura. "You want to know the truth don't you?"

"I…"

"If seeing Sasuke with that girl made you anxious, then you can't just… ignore it. There's a reason for you feeling that way. You know…"

**['Does he know?']**

Sasori smiled weakly at Sakura. "You know that something is wrong here and that's why you can't help but be troubled by it."

Sakura looked away from Sasori.

**['Troubled? I'm just being bitter.']**

"But…" Sasori stood up from the chair and approached Sakura. Then he made her look at him.

"The way I see it, both of you don't know for certain whether or not this girl is really his girlfriend."

"But she kissed him! You saw it too."

'Eh? They… kissed? You saw Sasuke kissing her?!", blurted Ino.

"We saw a brief moment they shared together. Not enough to see the full story. Not enough to know what's really going on between them.", said Sasori.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, she may or may not be his girlfriend. Did Sasuke even tell you himself that he was seeing someone seriously?"

"N-No."

"So ask him."

"That's…"

"Sakura, ask him.", Sasori held her hands. "It's the only way to end your insecurities."

"…"

"Er…" It was Ino's turn to feel anxious.

"But, prepare yourself. Because if she really is Sasuke's girlfriend-"

"Sasori?"

He sighed. "If you found out that… Sasuke really does have _someone_ that… he likes, can you really continue supporting Karin? And how long can you keep cheering her on?

"…?!"

"You do know that, if you wish for Karin to end up with Sasuke then you're also wishing for Sasuke to give up on that girl. But if you choose to be happy for Sasuke, then Karin is the one who's going to get her heart broken."

**['That's right. I'm so selfish! I was only thinking about myself. If that girl is really Sasuke's girlfriend and Karin has no clue about her, she is going to be miserable once she finds out. She loves him for the longest time.**

**But if Sasuke-kun doesn't actually have a girlfriend; will I be able to stay away from him? Now that I'm aware that I'm in love with him, can I really hold myself back?**

**Can I stop myself from competing with Karin and…']**

Sakura stared at Sasori's face.

**['Can I stop myself from hurting Sasori?']**

Sakura lowered her head. She looked at their hands.

**['How long will I be able to hold onto Sasori?']**

"It's pointless to keep all your concerns to yourself. Nothing can be resolved by sacrificing yourself to suffer the hurt alone."

Sakura slowly lifted her gaze.

"Regardless of who you choose to support, someone will get hurt.", said Sasori

"…"

"It's impossible not to lose someone but… whatever happens… I promise you… you won't lose me.", he implied.

"Sasori.", Sakura whimpered.

"Me too!", Ino exclaimed putting her hands on top of theirs. "Whatever happens… none of you will lose me."

Sakura looked at Ino and Sasori.

**['These two.**

**I have… very wonderful friends. I will never deserve them in this lifetime.**

**I'm sorry for being selfish. I'm so sorry!']**

Sakura felt extremely guilty.

She felt their hold on her hands get tighter.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura took off the spare helmet and handed it back to Sasori. "Here."

Sasori accepted it.

"Thank you for the ride home."

"No problem."

"I'll… see you tomorrow."

"Yeah." Sasori nodded.

Sakura turned around and walked towards the direction of her mother's bath house.

"Sakura."

"Hm?" she looked back at him.

Sasori avoided looking at her as he said; "I'll be waiting."

"Hm." Sakura nodded.

Sasori brought down his eye shield.

Sakura watched him as he drove away.

**['I have been so unfair with Sasori.']**

She lifted her gaze towards the sky.

**…**

**/"Sakura, ask him. … It's the only way to end your insecurities."/**

**…**

**/"There's so much I don't know. And the reason I still don't know so much about him... is because Sasuke-kun has chosen not to tell me everything.**

**And because... I didn't care enough."/**

**…**

**['No. That's not it.']**

**…**

**/"Are my actions really making you uncomfortable? You're the one who said you would pull on me. And now I'm… gravitating towards you-"/**

**/"Don't say it like _that_!"/**

**/"Are you really bothered by it?"/**

**/"It's just that... it's making me feel like... I'm such a _horrible person_."/**

**…**

**['Every time he opened up to me…']**

**…**

**/"I thought you said you didn't care if anyone hated you? … For whatever it's worth. … I'm not on that list yet."/**

**…**

**['…I got scared to get closer.']**

**…**

**/"Is it okay if I ask you what it is that you want to do?"/**

**/"To play one last game with my brother."/**

**/['I thought of so many questions I wanted to ask him. And I don't know if I'll ever get another chance to ask him. But... if I ask him, I might ruin his mood. ... That gentle expression on his face. I want him to keep it... even if it's only for a little bit longer.']/**

**…**

**['It's not that I didn't care enough. I just wasn't brave enough to learn more. I was scared that I'd end up falling in deeper if I found out more about him. I already knew the affect he had on me...']**

**...**

**/"Just stop being nice to me! Why are you the one who's here with me?! ... Why isn't HE here instead of you? You're not _him_! You're not _Sasori_!"/**

**...**

**['But…']**

**…**

**/"Ne, Sasuke-kun."/**

**/"W-What?"/**

**/"Let's be friends?"/**

**/"Aa."/**

**…**

**['I was so selfish. I didn't want to give up on him- No. I didn't want to lose him so I asked for us to be friends instead.**

**But… Sasori was right.']**

**…**

**/"It's impossible not to lose someone…"/**

**…**

**['The more I held onto Sasuke the more I slipped further away from Sasori.']**

**…**

**/"By the way. … Is this something I have to get use to? … Your new look?"/**

**/"Oh. Uhm, I was eventually going to drop the braids when I'm in college anyway... Is it... weird? Does it not suit me after all?"/**

**/"No. You're beautiful. I was just wondering why you're suddenly wearing it like that."/**

**…**

**/"… But didn't Sasori prefer your hair braided?"/**

**/"Yeah. He said it reminded him of the dolls his grandmother makes…"/**

**…**

**/"...No need to feel embarrassed. It's normal for you to dress yourself in the way that would best please the boy you love. I'd do it too if I only knew what Sasuke's type is."/**

**…**

**/"...letting your hair down like that suits you best."/**

**/"Oh."/**

**...**

**['I couldn't help it. As it turned out, my heart was already taken by Sasuke-kun before I even realized it.**

**The moment our eyes met, I was... _captivated_. When he responded to my gesture, my heart skipped a beat. Something inside me was stirred. **

**But I was still unaware then. I thought that I was only motivated to approach him due to the 'pairing' when in fact; I just longed to once again experience the exhilarating feeling that catching his attention had brought me.']**

**…**

**/"But maybe that was his charm. Sasuke-kun is like an unreachable entity. I supposed it made people think that; if you were acknowledged by him, you must be someone very special."/**

**…**

**['Deep down, I knew it all along. But that part of me is what I hate the most.**

**I had regressed to that pathetic version of myself who wanted to be acknowledged by others.**

**Every time I tell myself to be contented with Sasori, it wasn't because my feelings for him outweighed my feelings for Sasuke-kun.**

**I simply decided that I like myself best when I only thought of Sasori… because I didn't have to try so hard to please him. It was so much easier knowing that he would always praise me for my achievements and just smile through my failures, telling me 'It's okay'.**

**But I had started demanding from him the responsiveness that I had felt from Sasuke-kun.**

**And just like that, I lost sight of my place inside Sasori's heart. And I was all to blame.**

**In the end, my disappointment and loneliness were caused by my own twisted expectations.**

**That's right… I already knew that I was being unfair to Sasori.**

**...**

**I know that having feelings for Sasuke-kun doesn't mean that I have the right to pursue him.**

**Is choosing Sasori so wrong? After all, I do love him as well.**

**And yet, I question my decision every time I am presented with the possibility that I can choose Sasuke over him.**

**But I have to stop.**

**I can't get distracted by holding onto these false hopes so…**

**Once and for all, I have to know the truth… even if… it hurts.**

**It'll be for the best if Sasuke-kun has a girlfriend. I'll just comfort Karin. We… will move on together.**

**But if he doesn't have a girlfriend, then…**

**For everyone's sake...**

**I will... give my support to Karin.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura had just finished mopping the floor. She straightened her back and wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Sakura~!" Tayuya walked in. "Er… Wow. The floor is sparkling. A-Anyway… We're done with the preparations. You can turn the sign now."

"Got it.", said Sakura before approaching the door.

She turned the sign from 'Sorry We're Close' to 'Come in We're Open' and unlocked the door.

After that, Sakura headed to the break room.

"Good work~.", Orochimaru greeted as they met each other in the hallway.

"Thank you sir.", said Sakura.

Sakura was putting away the mop when Suigetsu and Sasuke walked in from the service door.

"Yo~!", Suigetsu greeted her as she passed him. He wore a black and white striped shirt, violet cuffed shorts and a pair of boat shoes.

Sasuke glanced at her as well and their eyes met.

"Good afternoon."

"Aa."

Sakura looked on as the two boys headed for the locker room.

…

**/"Once and for all, I have to know the truth… even if… it hurts."/**

…

**.**

**.**

**.**


	21. 5.3

**(5.3)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _Thank you for breaking my heart."_**

"Pardon my intrusion~!", Sakura called as she barged inside the men's locker room.

The men changing inside whipped their heads towards her.

"H-Hi there S-Sakura.", Kidomaru tried to play it cool as he immediately pulled up his pants.

Jirobo was slightly blushing as he covered his bare chest and belly with the orange t-shirt he held.

Sakon and Ukon - who had already finished changing into their blue t-shirt with the word 'SOUND' printed on it - turned their heads to look at Sasuke.

"Here we go again.", Sasuke sighed as he undid the last button of his chambray.

Suigetsu didn't seem to mind as he proceeded to strip down to his bare necessities.

"What?!", Sasuke implored.

"We need to talk!", said Sakura unfazed by the number of topless boys in front of her.

Sasuke turned to face her and realized that she had a serious expression on her face.

The twins, who immediately got the hint, nodded at each other and started pushing the other two shirtless boys out of the locker room.

"Come on guys. Let's hurry out now. We're already open.", Sakon told them.

"You can finish putting on your shirts on the way.", Ukon added.

"What about?", asked Sasuke.

Sakura side stepped to give way to the four boys. "I- er… The… uhm- The kiss.", she finished as soon as they were out of earshot.

Curiosity transformed Suigetsu's face. Eyes wide, he whipped his head to look at Sasuke…

" _That_ wasn't a kiss."

…and then, he shifted his gaze towards Sakura.

"Y-Yes it was! It was definitely a kiss. And that was unfair to Karin."

Suigetsu looked back at Sasuke.

"Didn't we…" Sasuke glanced at Suigetsu as he was distracted by the boy's series of head turns. "…already established that, _that_ wasn't a kiss. But… If you insist that something like that is a kiss then I'm more confused than ever as to why you're making a big deal out of it _now,_ since _that_ … wasn't even the first time you kissed someone?", he continued.

"HUH?!", Suigetsu gasped.

"W-What?! … No! I wasn't talking about our- Wait! How did you know _that_ wasn't the first time I k- ... How are you certain?!"

"I…", Sasuke paused. "Y- … You have… Sasori."

"How many times do I have to tell you, we aren't even dating yet?!", Sakura got furious.

"But you _have_ kissed someone before? Someone who _is not_ even the boy you like?", Suigetsu joined.

"That's not it!", Sakura retorted. "It was a very long time ago. I was barely nine at that time!"

Suigetsu covered his mouth with his hand as he stared at Sakura with shock.

"No! It was- I had to perform CPR!"

"CPR?"

"YES!"

"Oh."

"But I wasn't- … Why are you joining this conversation anyway?", Sakura realized.

"R-Right. Sorry." Suigetsu backed away.

Sakura looked at Sasuke again. "As I was saying~ I wasn't taking about our- that accidental _touch_. I meant yesterday, when I saw you with that girl at the corner of the street."

"So, it really was you.", said Sasuke as he finally took off his chambray. "I thought I heard your voice and saw a familiar motorcycle."

"Was…" Sakura got a bit distracted by seeing his bare torso. "...that girl who… kissed you, your girlfriend?", Sakura reluctantly inquired, looking away.

"Is that who you want her to be?", Sasuke suddenly asked her as he grabbed a cloth hanger from his locker.

"Eh?!", Sakura looked back at him.

"We've been in this situation before. What do you want to hear from me this time?", Sasuke then proceeded to hung the article.

"I- The… truth." Sakura felt that her hands was about to reach for her hairclips so she closed her hands into fist and held it in place. "The _truth_!", she looked into his eyes.

Sasuke clearly saw Sakura controlling her actions just as he clearly saw Suigetsu - from the corner of his eyes - nodding while putting on his pants.

Suigetsu slowly flopped down on the bench and started putting on his shoes while looking at Sasuke expectantly.

"So, who is she to you?", Sakura asked again.

**['Ne, Sasuke-kun. I came to you today, to get my heart broken.']**

Sasuke sighed as he pulled out a dark blue t-shirt.

**['So please, tell me what I want to hear.']**

"She's someone I… adore."

"I… see.", Sakura's expression softened.

**['That's all I'm going to get from him, I supposed.']**

Sakura walked towards Sasuke. She had her hands behind her back as she leaned forward to look at his face.

**['But… this is Sasuke-kun after all so, that was… more than enough.']**

"W-What?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

**['Who would have thought that hearing the word 'adore' could be so... deafening?']**

Suigetsu gripped his violet t-shirt close to his face as he watch the two of them, only inches apart, staring at each other.

**['Thank you… for breaking my heart.']**

"I'm happy to know that you actually have someone all this time. You sneaky jerk~. I'll support you.", she murmured.

"What?"

"I said; I'll support you!", she exclaimed. She then smiled gently at him. "I'll support you so… Promise me that you will tell Karin properly as well."

Sasuke looked away from her.

"Promise me Sasuke-kun!", she demanded.

Sasuke raised his arm to shield himself from her

"Sasuke-kun!" she held onto his arm.

"What's up with you today?!" Sasuke pulled his arm away from her hold.

…

"Er… Sakura-chan. You were here all along.", Tayuya peeked inside the men's changing room.

She had also changed into her pink t-shirt with the same logo as the others.

"Oh, Tayuya." Sakura turned around to look at her. "Sorry. I'm heading out too."

Suigetsu stood up and proceeded to put on his shirt.

"Okay. There's a handsome guy out there at the bar asking for you.", Tayuya announced.

"Huh?", Sakura seemed surprised.

Suigetsu glanced at Sasuke who hung his shirt over his right shoulder and turned his attention back to his locker.

"He said his name is Sasori."

"Sasori?!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sasori?", Sakura stared at the boy sitting on one of the stools by the bar.

Sasori was wearing a black slim-fitting, three quarter button-down shirt tucked into black skinny jeans and a pair of black and red slip-ons.

"Hey.", he smiled at her. "Oh, er… wow... That umiform is…"

"You don't have to pretend to like it.", Sakura assured him.

Sasori started rubbing the back of his head. "R-Right. It is a bit…"

"Something wrong with the clothes I designed?", Orochimaru asked him as he served him his cocktail.

"Oh. No. Ma'am. It's very simple but elegant actually."

"So you think it's too plain? I am a 'sir' by the way."

" _OH_. W-Well it does need a few touches. Maybe more ruffles or a bigger obi; something like a huge bow. Longer sleeves… A more intricate design for the skirt… A much more detailed fabric… Sir."

Orochimaru didn't look to please with his honest opinion.

"Err…", Sasori looked to Sakura for help.

"Pfff.", Sakura held back her laugh. "He means no disrespect.", she told Orochimaru. "It just wasn't 'lolita' enough for him?"

"Sakura!", Sasori blushed.

"I... see.", Orochimaru lingered for a while but eventually decided to give them some privacy. He cleared his throat. "Sasuke-kun just signalled me from behind the curtains. I think there's a problem on stage."

"He did?", Sakura turned to look at the stage but all she saw was one side of the curtain slightly swaying.

"Sakura-chan, I'll leave the bar to you for a while."

"Yes Orochimaru-san."

"Orochimaru? You mean that was your boss?!"

"Yeah. Anyway~", Sakura ended the topic there. "What are you doing here and… why are you all dressed up?"

"Oh. I'm supposed to meet up with some of my peers in about an hour. We're planning on hanging out somewhere around the area. I just thought I'd come early so I can check how you're doing."

"You're meeting your friends somewhere around the area? But there are only bars around this area." Sakura scowled. "You're not planning on going to _that_ kind of bar are you?"

"What?! No!" Sasori retorted. "Well, I'm honestly… not sure what type of bar… but! … I swear I won't do anything that will make you unhappy."

Sakura was still frowning.

"What? Don't look at me like that.", he chuckled. "I'd ask them to meet up here instead if I could, but I don't want them to know that you're working here-"

"Why?! Is there anything wrong with that?! This is a wholesome establishment!"

"Sorry! That's not what I had meant."

"What did you mean then?!"

"I mean~ how am I supposed to explain to them… that I allowed you to work here in order to help pay for another guy's debt?"

Sakura fell silent.

"Look, let's just let that go. I'm sorry for making it sound worse than it really is."

Sakura nodded. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that we have to go through all of _this_ because of my selfishness."

Sasori sighed. "So… how did it go with Sa-?"

"Excuse me!", said a man who approached the bar just then. He came with a woman.

Sakura excused herself and Sasori nodded.

Sasori watched as Sakura put on a smile on her face and say; "Yes? Sir. Ma'am. What can I get you?, she asked them as she moved to place cocktail napkins in front of them.

"Can we have a Matcha Hai and a Red Eye?"

"Coming right up!"

Sakura quickly got to work on making the drinks and Sasori turned his attention to his own drink.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"How about you sir?"

Sasori looked away from his now empty glass. He raised an eyebrow at Sakura.

"Would you like another?"

"Yes please.", he smirked as he leaned his cheek on his hand.

Sakura smiled at him as she used a towel to wipe the bar top and took away his empty glass.

She soon got back to him with another glass of his drink and set down fresh new napkins in front of him.

"So, what do you think? Last night we discovered that I'm much more efficient at bartending than I am at waiting tables so this is now where I am stationed.", Sakura shared.

"Really? You are surprisingly good at this."

"Want to know my secret?"

"Sure."

"I've set my mind into thinking that I'm just in one of our Chemistry classes. Each alcoholic drink is just some type of chemical. The cocktails are just some sort of scientific concoction. The recipes; it's just one procedure after another with several constants. It's didn't take me too long to know my way around the bar.

'I see.", Sasori chuckled.

"By the way… about… Sasuke."

"Hm?"

"I asked him."

"And~"

Sakura gave Sasori a thumbs up and flashed him a huge smile.

"I… see." Sasori also smiled. "That's great!", he released a heavy sigh. He then reached for Sakura's hand. "Really wonderful."

"Sakura!", Suigetsu walked in on their moment. "Sorry~ Ugh-hugh! _No_ gh _flirting_ gh _du_ gh _ring_ gh _wo_ gh _rk_ k _hou_ gh _rs_ su _h!_ Ugh-hugh!"

"…"

He flashed them a sharp-toothed grin. "Table 3 needs another round of drinks…"

"On it!" Sakura pulled out four beer mugs

"Table 7 is asking for the house specialty~"

"Gotcha!" She prepared six pint glasses.

"The woman in table 8 wants a refill~ and… table 9 needs more ice." Suigetsu drummed his hands on the bar top.

"Okay." She also took out a collins.

"Hey~! I'm Suigetsu.", Suigetsu tried to cozy up with Sasori.

"Hm." Sasori rolled his eyes.

"And you're the infamous Sasori, I've heard so much of."

Sasori nodded and took out his phone. He then kept himself busy with it.

"Ugh-hugh! _Magh bhoi Sauce's hellagh hoghtteghrr_! Ugh-hugh!"

"Pardon?" Sasori looked away from his phone, nose crinkled.

"I said~" Suigetsu turned to Sakura as he made a move to get into the bar. " _I'll… help you get the ice so… it'll be faster._ "

"T-Thanks."

"No problem."

…

The screeching sound of the microphone had every heads in the room turn towards the stage.

"Good evening everyone and… Welcome to Sound Country~!", Kabuto greeted the audience as he took to the stage.

"Sadly…" he adjusted his glasses. "We have a lot of vacant slots tonight so… if anyone in the audience is interested to do impromptu acts just come over to me and I'll be more than willing to add you to the line-up.", he added.

He then proceeded to place the microphone on to the mic stand.

"In the meantime, for the opening number, well… if you're one of our regulars you should know them well by now."

Some people from the audience started cheering and clapping their hands in anticipation.

"Ladies and gentlemen~ Our very own; ' _The_ SOUND FIVE'!" Kabuto announced.

The curtain behind Kabuto opens up on his cue, revealing five people up on the stage with him all along.

Jirobo sat behind a drumset while Tayuya stood behind the keyboard. Kidomaru carried a double-neck and Ukon was holding a base guitar.

Sakon walked towards the mic. "Thank You Kabuto-san.", he told the man who was making his exit. He then turned to the audience. "Otogakure Konbanwa~!"

The crowd responded with applause.

Orochimaru had returned to the bar as Sakon continued warming up to the audience while the others started getting a feel for their instruments.

_("…So, we got a great show for you tonight…")_

Sakura finished preparing all the cocktails ordered by then and got them ready for Suigetsu to serve. "That's four Lemon Sours for table 3. Six Snake Venoms for table seven. One Cassis Grape for the lady at table 8~ and… you already delivered the ice."

"Right!", said Suigetsu.

Orochimaru inspected her finished work and gave her a smile. "Nice job Sakura-chan."

_("Now… For all you… first timers out there…")_

Suigetsu got to work serving the drinks as Sakura started tidying up the bar top once more.

_("… I'm gonna introduce my band.")_

Sakura allowed herself to enjoy as much of the show as she can while bartending.

"We have Kidomaru on guitar.", Sakon introduced.

~ _Gm G C_ ~

"Our wind instrument diva; Tayuya, the master of the horns. _But tonight_ she's on keys."

Tayuya passed on showboating but gave the crowd a weak wave.

"Jirobo on drums."

Jirobo joins in by beating on his drums.

"My twin brother, Ukon. Back-up vocals and base."

~ _Gmaj7 C Gmaj7 C_

_Gmaj7 C Gmaj7 C_

_Gmaj7 C Gmaj7 C_ ~

"My name is Sakon!" he starts playing his guitar. "And we are… The Sound Five~!"

The crowd roars~

~ _Hikarabita kotoba wo tsunai de_  
Soredemo bokura shinpuru na omoi wo tsutaetai dake na no   
Fukinukeru kusunda ano hi no kaze wa   
Kinou no haikyo ni uchi sutete   
Kimi to warau ima wo ikiru no da

_Soredemo ano dekigoto ga kimi wo kurushimeru daro?  
Dakarakoso sayonara nanda_

_Konomama nanimo nokorazu ni anata to wakachiau dake_  
Yagate bokura wa sore ga subete dato kigatsuite   
Kanashimi wa hoo wo tsutatte namida no kawa ni naru dake   
Yureru omoi wa tsuyoi uzu ni natte tokeau no yo

_Iradachi toka sukoshi kurai no kodoku datoka wa_  
Ittai sore ga bokura ni totte nandatten daro?   
Ima wa dorama no naka ja nain da ze   
"Nee, doudai?"   
Sono koe ni bokura furikaettemo daremo inai daro?   
Dakarakoso bokura takaraka ni sakebu no da

_Soredemo bokura no koe wa dokonimo todokanai daro?  
Dakarakoso sayonara nanda_

_Soshite mata toki wa nagarete anata to wakachiau dake_  
Tagate bokura wa sore ga subete dato kigatsuite   
Kanashimi wa hoo wo tsutatte hitosuji no uta ni naru dake   
Yureru omoi wa tsuyoi uzu ni natte tokeau no yo

_Konomama nanimo nokorazu ni anata to wakachiau dake_  
Soshite anata wa ima ga subete dato kigatsuite   
Kanashimi wa hoo wo tsutatte namida no kawa ni naru dake   
Soshite bokura wa awai umi ni natte tokeau no yo

_(SEISHUN KYOSOKYOKU - Sambomaster )_ ~

Sakura and Orochimaru clap along with the audience as the song comes to an end.

_("Thank you! Thank you!...')_

"Another round please.", the man from earlier calls Sakura's attention.

"Yes sir. I'll get right to it." Sakura made a move to prepare another batch for them.

"Now, most of you already know... We; The Sound Five are actually composed of six members… Ehehe~"

The crowd laughs with Sakon.

"Ukon and I are counted as just one member so obviously; one of us couldn't make it tonight."

"Awww~", the crowd expressed their disappointment.

"Yeah, Kimimaru called in sick so… but! To our regular customers, you already know what that entails right? Someone has to fill in for him."

_("Kyaa~!")_

"Hehe! Of course the ladies know it! You guessed it right! The _fan favourite himself_ is coming up on stage TONIGHT!"

_("KYAAAAAAA!")_

"Ladies and… LADIES. Filling in for the lead guitar~ SASUKE!"

Sakura whipped her head towards the stage and saw Sasuke joining them with his own guitar.

"Kyaa~! Sasuke-kuuuun~!", the women cheered as Sasuke set up his instrument.

"KYAAAAAAA!"

-His soundcheck alone got the women even more excited.

Sasuke gestured Sakon that he was ready and nodded at Jirobo.

Jirobo hit his drumsticks together.

_~Tick-Tick, Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick~_

The music starts;

~ _Kono ryoute ni kakaete iru mono toki no shizuku  
Sotto nigirishimete wasureta kioku nakushita kotoba_

_Hitotsu hitotsu omoidaseba subete wakatte ita ki ga shite ita no ni  
Iroaseta kotoba wa boku no sugu soba ni oite atta_

_Kotae no denai yoru to hitohira no nukumori to haruka kanata no akogare to  
Tada sore dake wo kurikaeshi boku wa ikite iru_

_Kono ryoute ni kakaete iru mono toki no shizuku  
Sotto nigirishimete wasureta kioku nakushita kotoba_

_Anata ga omou koto wo sameru koto naku temoto ni tsukamitai no ni  
"Hito" daru bokutachi wa sono kimochi wo wakachi aenai mama_

_Kotoba ga hanatsu imi wo tatoe no nai omoi wo kotaeru koto no nai kanjou wo  
Mitsumeaeba tsutawaru koto ga dekitara ii no ni na_

_Kono ryoute ni kakaete iru mono toki no shizuku  
Sotto nigirishimete wasureta kioku nakushita kotoba_

_Kono omoi wa mune ni shimatte okou_

_"Nakushite shimatta..."_

_(NAKUSHITA KOTOBA – No Regret Life)~_

"Sasuke, Ladies and Gentlemen!", Sakon announced. "Let's hear it for those wonderful guitar skills, 'ey?"

The crowd gave him a big round of applause.

Sakura joined, a bit disoriented. She wasn't even aware that she had finish making the drinks and had already served it to the customers.

"He's excellent with those strings.", Sasori commented.

"Yeah~ I- But! …" Sakura decided to tune out of Sakon's banter and gave her full attention to Sasori. "I know someone even better than him with strings.", Sakura grinned.

"Really?!", Sasori deadpanned.

Sakura giggled.

"Since when did controlling a marionette become cooler than playing a guitar?"

"I won't forgive anyone who looks down on Puppet Mastery! This guy that I like; he happens to be into it."

"Is he now?", Sasori humoured her. "He sounds~ boring."

"Far from it! He's a really cool guy. I'd pick him over some musician, any day."

Sasori chuckled. "He sounds like a very lucky guy."

" _Ay Ze_ gh _d No_ gh _flirting_ gh! Ugh-hugh!", Suigestu came by with some empty ice buckets. "Refill please.", he flashed her a wide grin.

…

Sakura glanced at the stage as she fetched Suigetsu some ice.

"So~" Sakon grinned. "Wanna hear Sasuke sing?"

"Oi!", Sasuke snapped.

_("YEAH!" / "Oh my gosh! YES!" / "SASUKE-KUN!" / "Kyaaaaa!" / "Sing for us!")_

Sakura couldn't help but be astonished by how much the crowd loves him.

"You heard 'em!", Sakon asserted.

"What? W-wait! No! No! I'm sorry!", Sasuke addressed the crowd. "I haven't got a song prepared so."

_("Please!" / "Sing!")_

" _Come on_! One song. Any song… right ladies?", Sakon summoned.

_("YEEEESSSS!" / "You can do it Sasuke-kun!")_

"Sasuke~ Sasuke~ Sasuke~ One song! Come on people! SASUKE~", Sakon started the chant.

_("SASUKE~ SASUKE~ SASUKE~ …")_

_-_ the crowd joins him, demandingly.

"Better give them what they want Sasuke.", yelled Suigetsu. "Or they're going to _literally_ bring this place down. SASUKE~ SASUKE~ SASUKE~"

Orochimaru joined as well. "SASUKE~ SASUKE~ SASUKE~"

"SASUKE~", Suigetsu turned to Sakura who just handed him the buckets filled with ice. "Come on Sakura. Show the guy your support."

"I- Er… Okay.", Sakura smiled. "SASUKE-KUN~!", she yelled.

Sasuke looked her way, raising an eyebrow.

"GO FOR IT!", she shouted.

_("SASUKE~ SASUKE~ SASUKE~")_

Sakura giggled as she turned to Sasori. "That was embarrassing. But it was… actually quite fun."

Sasori smiled weakly. "Really?"

"Try it!"

"No I'm good."

Sakura joined the demanding cheer once again. "SASUKE~ SASUKE ~ SASUKE ~"

"Okay!", Sasuke submitted. "OKAY!"

The crowd goes wild.

"One song!", Sasuke moved forward. "Just one! Because it's all I got for you tonight."

Sakon stepped aside to let Sasuke stand by the microphone.

Kabuto walked into the stage carrying an acoustic guitar and set it up. He then swaps guitars with Sasuke.

_("WHOOHOO~")_

Sasuke surveyed the crowd as Kabuto leaves the stage.

"So, this is the only song I can think of singing right now."

"Make a dedication!", instructed Sakon.

"Tsk! Seriously?!" Sasuke sighed. "I dedicate this to… that…"

Sasuke started looking around until his eyes landed on Sakura. His gaze lingered on Sakura before moving on towards other spectators. "That… special person out there who makes… who made being alive feels like… a blessing.", he finished.

The first few notes he played immediately brought shiver down into Sakura's spine.

The audience allowed themselves a few claps before completely falling into silence just as Sasuke started singing.

~ _Modora nai kinou-tachi hontou ni ne_  
Arigato ne sabishii naa  
Mada minu ashita-tachi ima iku ne  
Yoroshiku ne ureshii naa

_Kanawa nai negai-tachi hontou ni ne_  
Gomen ne itsuka kitto  
Kanaerareta omoi-tachi arigato ne  
Korekara mo zutto tomo ni

_Chiisa na kodou furueru tabi  
Omou no wa boku ga anata wo mamoru kara_

_Ima boku ga ikite iru toiu koto wa_  
Ima boku ga shiawase da toiu koto  
Ima boku ga waratte nai toshite mo  
Ima boku ga ikite iru sore dakede  
Shiawase da toiu koto

_Deae nai inochi-tachi kimi no fun mo_  
Boku wa kitto ganbaru yo  
Kawashita kono yakusoku-tachi hanasa nai yo  
Wasure nai yo yakusoku shiyou

_Itsuka kono yo no dare mo ga ieru no ka na_

" _Boku wa mou nanimo nozomi wa shinai kara"_  
Chiisa na yume wo tsugi kara tsugi ni  
Egaite wa sutete iku no wa  
Hontou wa mou kore ijou nani mo ira nai kara

_Ima boku ga ikite iru toiu koto wa_  
Ima boku ga shiawase da toiu koto  
Ima boku no me ni namida ukandete mo  
Ima boku ga ikite iru sore dakede  
Shiawase da toiu koto

_Afureru inochi-tachi ikite iru_  
Boku ga iru ureshii naa  
Kiete itta inochi-tachi itsuka wa ne  
Boku mo iku ne sono hi made

_Ima boku ga ikite iru toiu koto wa  
Ima boku ga shiawase da toiu koto_

_Ima boku ga ikite iru toiu koto wa_  
Ima boku ga shiawase da toiu koto  
Ima boku ga waratte nai toshite mo  
Ima boku ga ikite iru soredakede  
Shiawase da toiu koto  
Ikite iru soredakede  
Shiawase da toiu koto

( _SAIGO NO UTA – Radwimps)_ ~

Once again, the audiences' applause, snapped Sakura out of her daze.

She blinks her disorientation away, as she watched Sasuke take a bow.

"Thank you!", Sakon told the audience.

Sasuke then made a move to get down from the stage along with the members of Sound Five as soon as Kabuto took back the microphone.

_("Let's hear it for the Sound Five and Sasuke once again, ladies and gentlemen!")_

_("Kyaa!" / "Whoohoo!" / "I love you Sasuke-kun!")_

**[It happened again. Just now, Sasuke-kun was the only one I could see and hear.']**

_("Well the ladies obviously enjoyed his performance.")_

She suddenly realized that she had tears running down her cheeks.

**['Eh?! Had I been crying all this time?']**

_("What did the boys think of it? How about it fellas? Let's be honest… that was a mediocre performance by an amateur…")_

_("Boo~!")_

_(" You don't know what you're saying Kabuto!")_

_("Stay out of this Suigetsu! You're messing up my spiel.")_

_("Someone wasn't here for the briefing.")_

Sakura began wiping her cheeks dry but she could feel more tears coming.

_("…Anyway the girls loved it because… meh… they love him. … You just love Sasuke don't you?")_

_("YES~!")_

_("Hell Yeah! He's the best!")_

**['Why can't I stop crying?']**

_("Suigetsu!~")_

Sakura saw Sasuke glanced at her direction just as he was about to go to the break room.

_("Keep your trap shut shitty r-")_

Sasuke did a double take and stopped as soon as he realized that she was crying.

_("Tayuya! Watch your language.")_

Sakura immediately averted her eyes from him.

_("Guys! Quit messing up the script")_

_("AHAHAHHAHA~")_

Sakura went on wiping her tears.

_("AS I WAS SAYI- Argh! Screw the script! … So Gentlemen of the crowd. Are you just going to let your girls walk out of this bar tonight with that moving performance stuck in their heads? Are you going to let these ladies's hearts be taken by Sasuke?!")_

She reluctantly turned to face Sasori only to find him no longer seated by the bar.

"Sasori?" Sakura looked around her surroundings.

_("Isn't there anyone in the crowd brave enough to challenge that performance? Step right up and win your WOMEN'S heart back! … In short, we really just need some of you to fill in the vacated slots. We're desperate. Did we tell you those who perform on stage gets a free drink at the bar?")_

_("AHAHAHHAHA~")_

Sakura's eyes caught the woman from table 8 standing up from the corner of her eye. The woman - who was wearing all-black - made her way to the restroom.

_("Here!" / "I'll have a go at it" / "Me too!")_

That's when Sakura found Sasori further ahead of her, making his way to the exit.

_("Splendid! Those who are interested please sign up at the bar. Now, for our next performer~…")_

"S-Sasori!", she tried calling him but he was already walking out through the door by then.

Men were suddenly getting up from their chairs and making their way to the bar.

**['Shit!']**

Sakura slammed her forehead on the bar top.

"Something wrong Sakura-chan?", wondered Orochimaru.

"Ie. Ie.", she lied. "Sorry. My bad."

Sakura found herself looking back at Sasuke who was still watching her,

Until the Men who gathered at the bar, asking to be signed up for a slot, obstructed him from her view.

By the time Sakura could peeked through the crowd, Sasuke was no longer where he stood a moment ago.

She instead found him already making his way into the break room.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	22. 5.4

**(5.4)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _He's not the one who loves me."_**

Sakura came out of the Otogakure, wearing a red hoodie, black capri jeans and her old pair of red converse.

…

She looked around the parking area and saw no sign of Sasori or his motorcycle.

**['It's not like I can blame him.']**

She sighed.

Sakura moved towards the sidewalk and started on her way.

Without stopping, she looked back upon hearing the front door of the establishment barged open and saw Sasuke – who was now wearing his tunic – walked out.

She realized that he hasn't spotted her yet so she quickly hid behind the street post.

**['Eh?! Why am I hiding?']**

She came out of hiding and found him surveying the parking area.

**['Is he looking for me?']**

She noticed that Sasuke was about to turn towards her and immediately jumped behind the post again.

**['I can't do it after all.']**

She adjusted her position as he came by, making sure she won't be seen.

**['If I talk to him now, I'll only end up wanting to be comforted by him.']**

Sasuke stepped into the street to look as far as his eyes allowed him. He checked both sides.

**['And… if he does comfort me, I'll just end up questioning my resolve again.']**

Sasuke took out his phone and dialed a number. He held the phone to his ear as he walked back towards the building.

Seeing as Sasuke was busy making a call, Sakura slipped away.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura sighed and slowed down as soon as she was far enough from the establishment.

She then paid more attention to her surroundings and realized that she had walked into the not so reputable part of the area.

She awkwardly made her way passed insensible men who were either picking up women or being invited by some that were less than decently clad.

She caught a drunken old man's attention and he suddenly approached her, "Excuse me? Are you-?"

Sakura panicked and quickly ran away from the man.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**['W-What the heck!']**

Sakura slowed down when she realized that the old man wasn't going to come after her. She was breathing unevenly as she walked on all the way to the end of the street.

**['Sasori no baka!']**

She turned at the corner, stomping.

**['I know he's mad at me but… how could he just leave me alone like this?']**

Sakura halted and lowered her head.

**['Even though… I was the one who got myself in this situation in the first place.']**

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned her head towards a familiar car that had just made a stop.

"Nurse Rin?! I- W-What are you doing here?"

"Nothing much really. Just out for a drive.", Rin smiled at her. "So, need a lift?"

"I-If it's okay with you?"

"Hop in."

"Thank you.", said Sakura as she opened the door.

Rin – who was wearing a black and blue checkered dress-shirt and leggings – picked up her black coat sitting on the passenger seat so Sakura could settle in.

She threw it into the backseat while Sakura shut the car door close. She then put her car into gear and drove off.

"You live outside the town proper right?"

"Yes but… dropping me off my bus stop will be fine."

"Are you sure? I don't mind driving you all the way to your house."

"Yes."

"O-Okay." Rin seemed disinclined. "The bus stop in front of the convenience store just a few blocks from the school wasn't it?"

"Yes. That's the one."

"By the way … why were you walking along that street all on your own at this hour?", wondered Rin.

"Oh I just got off work. Ah but, not exactly there! I'm working at this open mic bar, on the other side of the street."

"So I heard."

"Y-You knew? Did you hear from Ino?"

"Yes. From Ino. And Karin. And Kakashi and Naruto and-"

"R-Right. Of course you know everyone."

Rin nodded. "But, what I really meant was; why were you alone? I thought your- Oh, he's not your boyfriend yet, right? I'm Sorry. Sasori was it now? I thought that he picks you up after work."

"Oh. You knew that too?"

"S-Sorry. Was I not supposed to? Back then you didn't seem to mind us talking about him."

Sakura shook her head. "No. It's okay. I supposed it wasn't really much of a secret, huh?"

"So, why didn't he pick you up tonight?"

Sakura looked out the window, "He had to be somewhere else. H-He… preferred to be somewhere else."

"Did something happen?"

Sakura leaned back roughly. She then started rubbing the palm of her hands down her face. "We were fine one moment and then he was suddenly walking away in the next. I know that he had somewhere to go but… he just… left without even saying goodbye to me. And I was just there… standing right in front of him."

"Oh. Well, d-don't you have a clue as to why he might've done that?"

"Er… S-Sasuke-kun.", Sakura concluded.

Rin blinked her eyes away from the road and towards Sakura

"Uchiha? Why him? What exactly happened?"

"Well, at first Sasori seemed like he was having fun. I even told him the good news; … that I… confronted Sasuke-kun and asked him about the girl we saw him with."

"Eh?!"

"Oh, right. You wouldn't know Nurse Rin. The thing is… the possibility of Sasuke-kun having a girlfriend had been occupying my mind for a while now and I just recently had him admit to it."

"He… confirmed it?" Rin turned to look at her.

"Well, he said that, she's… someone he… _adores_."

"I… see. But… what is it about him upsets your- err… Sasori?"

Sakura sighed and looked out of the window again. "Sasuke performed on stage tonight."

"What's it got to do with-"

"He dedicated this beautiful song to his 'special person'."

"And~"

"I cried."

Rin fell silent.

"I couldn't help it.", Sakura said passively. "I didn't even know that I was crying until he was done singing."

"Uhm. I'm confused. Why would Sakura's- Why would he be upset over you being moved by someone's performance?"

"I wasn't moved. I was devastated, hearing him dedicate sweet words to a girl that... isn't me.", Sakura admitted.

"Sakura." Rin looked at her with concern this time.

"I shed my tears for the boy who wasn't even aware that he broke my heart in front of the boy who likes me-"

"Whoops!" Rin made an abrupt stop, causing Sakura to jerk forward.

"Oh my- Sakura?! Are you okay?! I'm sorry!", she apologized as she took a right turn.

"I'm… okay." Sakura straightened herself. "What happened?"

"I almost miss the turn… and…"

"Is everything okay?"

"Obviously not.", Rin told her. "I'm suddenly feeling very depress right now. I thought that you actually treated me as your friend. I'm sad to learn that you were going through such a problem all along but you couldn't confide in me. Now, I feel like I'm a failure as an adult and as a friend."

"It's not like that at all. It was sort of… complicated.", reasoned Sakura. "Besides, I was in denial until only recently. And it doesn't even matter anymore. Ino was right anyway. It was convenient for me to be attracted to someone else at the time because I was longing for Sasori. I was well aware of how unfair it was to the both of them which is why I had never intended to pursue my feelings for Sasuke-kun right from the start. I chose Sasori!", Sakura said painfully, gripping the hem of her hoodie.

"I went to Sasuke-kun to have my heart broken once and for all. So I can finally move on and start over with Sasori but… I couldn't hide it from him. Letting Sasuke-kun go and accepting the fact that he already loves someone else… is hurting me. And now Sasori is hurting because of me."

Sakura started bawling her eyes out. "I want to tell him I'm sorry. I want to fix things. I want to make it up to him. But… what if he doesn't want to speak to me again?"

"F-From my experience…", Rin considered for a moment.

Sakura looked at her expectantly.

"It's best to give him and yourself time to cope up with the hurt.", said Rin. "Don't use him to get over your heartbreak. Even if you had picked him right from the very beginning, if you go to him now, it will only look like you're choosing him because Uchiha isn't an option for you anymore."

"…"

"Give it time. If you two really love each other then everything will eventually be okay. Ne?"

Sakura looked down and began wiping her cheeks dry with her hands.

"I- er… I think I have some tissues somewhere inside my coat pocket.", Rin reached back for her coat and handed it to Sakura. "H-Here Sakura. Go ahead… and take it out of… whichever pocket."

"Thank you." Sakura inspected the black coat until she found the tissues.

"Say, my apartment is actually near this area. Do you want to come over? Give yourself time to calm down? Freshen up?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Rin opened her door and invited Sakura inside.

"Come in.", she told her, as she held the door open.

"Then, pardon my intrusion.", said Sakura, walking into the Genkan first.

Rin closed the door behind her. She then removed her black ankle boots before stepping off of the tataki.

Sakura also removed her shoes and followed Rin through the kitchen area.

"Bathroom's here. Go ahead. Make yourself at home.", Rin told her, pointing at a door.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura peeked inside and immediately noticed that there were two sets of toothbrushes, towels and bathrobes.

"There are fresh towels inside the mirrored cabinet if you need them."

"Thank you.", said Sakura as she closed the bathroom door.

She walked towards the vanity then proceeded to wash her face.

…

After washing her face, Sakura took a fresh towel out from the cabinet and began drying her face.

When she was done, she made a move to place the used towel into the hamper. That's when she inhaled a familiar scent coming from the pile of laundry.

Sakura took a whiff.

**['Smells like Sasuke-kun's-']**

Sakura inspected the cabinets and found a similar bottle of cologne that she once saw Sasuke had.

**['I knew it. Nurse Rin's boyfriend uses the same cologne Sasuke-kun uses.']**

Sakura smiled painfully.

**['Of course I've got his scent memorized.']**

…

**/"It's quite a popular brand for men but its only available here in Rinnegan."/**

…

**['Sasuke-kun, he really did like common things. He tried his best not to stand out. Always keeping his distance too.']**

…

**/"You know... I keep forgetting that you're one of the kids born with a silver spoon … I mean, you live in a dorm where you have to share a room with someone. You work at night, waiting tables. You take the bus. You wear simple clothes. And then all of a sudden... you bring me here and... I was just reminded that you're 'the' Uchiha Sasuke."**

**/"And how should I take that comment?"/**

**/"As a compliment!"/**

**/"Very well."/**

…

**['How could someone who made such an effort to be inconspicuous managed to still catch people's attention? How could someone so distant and stoic cause such warmth in my heart? Then pain.']**

Sakura stared at her reflection.

**['Seriosly?! Is everything supposed to be a reminder of him now? I'm trying to move on here you know. Just how much have you affected me?']**

"Sakura?", Rin suddenly called. "You okay in there?"

"Y-Yeah.", she answered. "I'll be out soon."

**.**

**.**

**.**

The two girls sat down by the low table. Rin had prepared some snacks and was pouring some juice on the glasses.

"So, you live here with your boyfriend?", noted Sakura .

Rin was flustered, spilling some juice. "I- I'm not a little girl anymore after all."

"Oh. Of course! I didn't mean anything wrong." Sakura waved her hand. "I just felt guilty for intruding on your home. I hope he doesn't mind me being here now."

"He's not here right now so you don't need to worry.", Said Rin as she got up.

"Is he at work?"

"Maybe." Rin walked towards the kitchen. "But, what I mean is that, he doesn't exactly live here. He does come over sometimes but most of the time he goes home to his house."

"He has a house? How come he didn't ask you to move in and live with him instead?"

Rin came back carrying a cloth. "It's technically not _his_ house. He had to move in there to live with… a relative."

"Oh. Well why don't he just move in here with you?", asked Sakura.

"It's complicated.", said Rin as she started wiping the spill on the table.

"I see."

**['I probably shouldn't press.']**

Sakura picked up her glass and drank a few sips from it. "B-By the way, I just remembered I still haven't thank you for proofreading my revision on Sasori's practice thesis."

"Right. The one Uchiha brought to me."

"Directly? He didn't ask Karin to hand it for me?"

"Uhm, no. He personally came to me."

"Oh. Well anyway… Thank you very much."

"Don't mention it. It was actually very interesting to read. How did it go then?"

"Well… he couldn't use it in the end…"

"How come?"

Sakura shrugged. "He did say it help him figure out where direction he wanted to go with his design. And in the end he finished on time so~."

"Hm. That's great, I supposed."

Sakura nodded. "That's all that matters anyway. I was able to help him as much as I can."

**['That's right. Sasori's is all that matters. He's the only one I need to please.']**

…

**/"Your parents didn't even pretend to be happy about the results of the finals, did they? … Don't worry about it Sakura. I mean, what's new, right?"**

**/"Y-Yeah."/**

**/"No point in being upset over that. You just focus on beating the Hyuuga kid and I'm sure everything will eventually work out."/**

…

**['Even though…']**

…

**/"...You once told me that you can't bring yourself to run away from your home even if your parents didn't understand you. That's because you love them and you _do_ want them to understand you. You _do_ want them to be proud of you."/**

…

**['No. I have to stop comparing Sasori to Sasuke-kun because…**

**No matter how much kindness he shows me…**

**He's not the one who loves me.**

**And I don't want to keep Sasori just because I can't have Sasuke-kun.**

**I want to keep Sasori because he's the guy that…**

**I… He's the guy that I… l-**

**That I…**

…' **]**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Are you sure you're going to be fine right here?", Rin asked Sakura.

"Yes. Thank you and sorry for your trouble.", said Sakura as she was getting down from the car.

"Uhm, Want me to wait until a bus gets here?"

"That won't be necessary. Well. Good night." Sakura closed the car door then moved away from the vehicle.

She walked towards the bench. She looks back and wonders why Rin hasn't left yet but then she realized that the nurse was on her phone.

She spotted the arriving bus a few blocks away.

When the bus made the stop, Rin finally started her engine."

Sakura waved at her before getting on the bus.

As soon as she found herself a seat, she flopped down and noticed Rin's car driving away.

…

**/"It's best to give him and yourself time to cope up with the hurt. … Don't use him to get over your heartbreak. Even if you had picked him right from the very beginning, if you go to him now, it will only look like you're choosing him because Uchiha isn't an option for you anymore… Give it time. If you two really love each other then everything will eventually be okay. Ne?"/**

…

**['Yeah. That's right. I need time to get over Sasuke-kun. And I need to give Sasori time to heal as well.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Tell me Ino. How did you manage to get over your infatuations for Sasuke-kun?", asked Sakura as she lost herself staring at the morning glories.

"Hm~ I can't exactly say how or when I got over him. I just woke up one morning and realized that I wasn't as into him as much as I once was, I guess.", said Ino as she was watering the Irises.

Sakura moved away from the morning glories. Donning a peach sundress, she walked over to the hydrangea flowers.

"While I did find him undeniably handsome, the idea of wanting to date him came to me only because most of the girls in school thought that I look good with him the best. No one wanted to see him end up dating an 'undeserving' girl, so everyone agreed that if they were eventually gonna have their hearts broken by him, it would be to a girl that they can bare seeing him with. It seemed to be a reasonable idea at the time.", Ino added.

"I honestly can't even tell anymore if I did it to humor our classmates or if I just wanted to go with what everyone else thought would be best or if I actually harboured a deep feeling of love towards Sasuke."

Sakura turned around to look at Ino who had just finished caring for the Irises.

Ino stood up and straightened her apron.

"But one thing I do know is that at some point I realized that I did not want to be a part of a perfectly good-looking couple. I want to fall in love for real. I want to meet someone who's going to sweep me off my feet and make my heart skip a beat.", Ino continued. "But it's been so hard, since my first crush just happened to be a 'ten out of ten' guy.", she giggled.

Sakura smiled at her. "I know right."

"Sakura." Ino suddenly turned serious. "I want you to experience that as well?"

"Hm?"

"I know I've been very invasive when it comes to your relationship with Sasori. I know I've had a huge influence in your decisions over the years and I feel really guilty. I value our friendship the most. I would do anything to protect the both of you. Of course I'd be happy if the two of you ended up together but …

I don't want either one of you to give up on your happiness. And I especially don't want either one of you to put yourself in a situation that you'll end up regretting someday.

I guess what I'm trying to say is… I want you to be happy and be with someone that will make you fall in love for real. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to love and be love. And… So does Sasori.", Ino told Sakura with a smile.

"…"

"I don't want either one of you to hinder one another of the chance to find someone that will truly love each one of you."

"Ino."

"I love you Sakura no matter what. I'll always be your friend. Same goes for Sasori. Neither of you will be completely left alone so~"

The bell chimes.

Both girls turned their heads to look at the door.

Ino moved towards the incoming customer.

Sakura exhaled heavily as soon as Ino walks away from her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Welcome~!"

Sakura and Suigetsu smiled at the woman who gestured at them as they entered the store. They wore jackets over their uniforms.

"Sorry you're the one who had to come along with me Sakura.", Suigetsu apologized as he pulled out a shopping cart. "Sasuke and I usually does the shopping and he makes sure we get everything restock before he takes the day off but I guess we miscalculated. There are more customers nowadays. It's summer after all."

"I don't really mind. I needed to get away from the bar for a while anyway.", Sakura smiled as she walked along Suigetsu towards the aisles. "Besides, it was either me or Karin. Everyone agreed that it's for the best if I went with you instead."

"Yeah. Thank the heavens; I didn't have to run this errand with her."

Suigetsu turned the cart and Sakura followed him.

"What are you still mad at her for? It wasn't her fault Sasuke-kun made her believe that your cardigan was his."

"I've already forgotten about that." Suigetsu took a couple bottles of mirin from the shelf.

Sakura went for the rice vinegar and the soy sauce. "Then what do you have against Karin?"

"I just can't stand her. The way she clings to Sasuke pisses me off."

The both of them placed the items into the cart and moved on to the next aisle.

"Hm~."

"What?!" Suigetsu raised an eyebrow at her while he was picking out some potato starch.

"Are you perhaps jealous?", wondered Sakura. "Ne, Suigetsu? Do you… _like_ Sauke-kun too?"

"It's not like that!", Suigetsu wrinkled his forehead. "I respect the guy a lot. I can't stand girls who look at Sasuke like he's just some _piece of meat_. He's a really sensitive guy, you know? He acts tough and tries too hard to be cool but the truth is, his heart is extremely fragile."

"You were _taken_ by Sasuke-kun as well, huh?", Sakura smiled softly.

"I meant what I said from the bottom of my heart but when you say it like that, it suddenly makes me feel uncomfortable."

Sakura giggled.

"Hey I'm serious here you know."

"Hai, hai." Sakura turned serious. "But just so you know, Karin loves Sasuke-kun sincerely. She's just really… awkward when it comes to expressing it."

"Awkward?!", Suigetsu picked up three packs of his chosen brand and placed it inside the cart. "More like bitchy."

"Hey! She's a good girl who happens to be seriously in love with Sasuke-kun. She wants nothing more than to see Sasuke-kun smile."

"That's… good to know, I… supposed."

"You look unhappy. Are you scared she'll end up taking Sasuke-kun away from you?"

"Like I said, it's not like that at all! I'm not jealous of that girl!", he blurted out.

"Then~ Are you jealous of Sasuke-kun?", she teased.

Suigetsu deadpanned. "You're starting to sound like Tayuya and Kin Tsuchi."

"But… it's so obvious.", Sakura giggled.

"You're one to talk."

"Eh?!"

Suigetsu smirked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Sakura tried to play it cool as she walked towards the flours on display.

"You just confirmed it yourself a while ago."

"What are you talking about?", she turned back to Suigetsu holding some panko packages.

"You said _'too'_."

"Huh?!"

"A while ago, you asked if I like Sasuke _too_."

"I- I-" Sakura was flustered.

"Don't worry. I sort of understand the situation. I won't tell anyone else… or him. Although, he probably already has a clue-"

"Yes! He probably does but... we agreed to be friends so~"

"Really?"

Sakura nodded.

Suigetsu scratched the back of his head. "I get it. Cat in the box, right? And you want to keep it that way?"

"Yes. As long as I don't say it out loud, I don't need to confirm or deny it with him and Sasuke-kun doesn't need to accept or reject it." Sakura smiled weakly. "Although, it's pretty obvious that I'll end up getting rejected since he already has a girlfriend."

"He does?", Suigetsu seemed shock.

"Didn't you know?", Sakura wondered. "I thought you were covering for him back then."

**…**

**/"By the way, Sasuke stepped out for a while. If Orochimari-san looks for him, just tell him he's taking a ten."/**

**…**

"No. I wasn't aware…"

Sakura thought she saw someone familiar from the corner of her eye.

**['Is that's nurse Rin.']**

"Sakura?"

"Uh, sorry. I think I saw someone I know. Give me a sec?"

"Okay."

Sakura quickly laid the packages on the cart and ran off.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	23. 5.5

**(5.5)**

**OUT OF OUR DEPTH**

" ** _Not me."_**

Sakura followed the woman pushing her cart along the aisles. Uncertain if she actually knew her, she decided to slowly fall behind.

The woman – who was wearing a violet floral dress shirt, white slim fitting slacks and violet kitten heels – stopped and turned her head to the left.

**['It really is her.']**

Sakura smiled and quickened her pace.

Rin seemed like she was talking to someone.

Sakura was getting close. She was now able to hear Rin's voice.

_("Have you decided which one you like?")_

_("Aa.")_

"…?!"

Sakura halted.

_("Come on then. Put it in the cart.")_

**['N-No way.']**

Just as the person that Rin was talking to approached her, shoppers make their way across the aisle from both direction in front of her.

**…**

**/"There are fresh towels inside the mirrored cabinet if you need them."/**

**/"Thank you."/**

**…**

…Sakura suddenly remembers catching Sasuke' familiar scent and finding a similar bottle of his cologne inside the bathroom of Rin's apartment…

**…**

**/"Smells like Sasuke-kun's- … I knew it. Nurse Rin's boyfriend uses the same cologne Sasuke-kun uses."/**

**…**

The face of the tall man – wearing a black hoddie zipper jacket – was obstructed from her view but she could glimpse Rin ruffling the guy's black hair while grinning at him.

**…**

**/"Isn't that Sasuke..."/**

**/"Hm?"/**

**/"…with… his girlfriend?"/**

**…**

…She then remembered the woman that she saw Sasuke with, from before…

**['She had… brown hair.']**

The man offers to push the cart for her and Rin was more than happy to accept. She then wrapped her hand around his arm as she walked beside him.

Sakura takes a step back.

**…**

**/"Make a dedication!"/**

**/"Tsk! Seriously?! … I dedicate this to… that…"/**

**…**

…She remembers as Sasuke started looking around the audience. He briefly looks at her before turning towards another direction...

**…**

**/"That… special person out there who makes… who made being alive feels like… a blessing."/**

**…**

Sakura takes two more steps back.

**['She was there back then. Among the audience.']**

**…**

…Sakura remembers catching a woman who was wearing all-black…

**…**

**/"Sakura!"/**

**/"Nurse Rin?! I- W-What are you doing here?"/**

**/"Nothing much really. Just out for a drive. … So, need a lift?"/**

**/"I- er… I think I have some tissues somewhere inside my coat pocket. … H-Here Sakura. Go ahead… and take it out of… whichever pocket."/**

**/"Thank you."/**

**…**

The last person makes it across clearing her view.

Sakura found herself staring at Sasuke's back.

**…**

**/"The thing is… the possibility of Sasuke-kun having a girlfriend had been occupying my mind for a while now and I just recently had him admit to it."/**

**/"He… confirmed it?"/**

**/"Well, he said that, she's… someone he… _adores_."/**

**/"I… see. But… what is it about him upsets your- err… Sasori?"/**

**…**

She immediately turned on her heel.

**…**

**/"Why would he be upset over you being moved by someone's performance?"/**

**/"I wasn't moved. I was devastated, hearing him dedicate sweet words to a girl that isn't me."/**

**/"Sakura."/**

**/"I shed my tears for the boy who wasn't even aware that he broke my heart in front of the boy who likes me-"/**

**/"Whoops! … Oh my- Sakura?! Are you okay?! I'm sorry!"/**

**…**

Sakura kept her back turned and started walking away.

...

...

...

"Sakura! There you are!", Suigetsu yelled

She froze in place.

"I'm done here. Let's go pay for these 'cause we gotta g- Oh!"

Sakura could tell from the looks of Suigetsu that he had spotted Sasuke and Rin.

"H-Hey Sasuke.", said Suigetsu. "What are you doing here?"

"Sa…ku…ra?", Rin spoke.

Sakura slowly turned her head to look back at them.

Sasuke was as passive as he always had been. To him it seemed like it was nothing more than a casual encounter.

Rin anxiously, let go of Sasuke's arm and stepped away from him. "This is… Actually… Sakura… The thing is. Sasuke-kun and I are-"

"Sasuke-kun?", Sakura mimicked, turning around to face them.

"Er… I mean Uchiha-"

**['I feel… sick.']**

"What's wrong?", Sasuke suddenly asked her.

"Huh?!"

"What's wrong with you?", he asked again.

**['What's wrong with me?!']**

"You're… turning pale.", said Sasuke.

**['I- I feel… like…']**

"I'm gonna throw up.", murmured Sakura.

"What?!"

"Brrgh-" Sakura held it in as she made a move to cover her mouth.

"S-Sakura?", Rin was suddenly concerned.

"Oi!", Sasuke moved towards her.

Sakura stepped back. "Suigetsu!", she called, turning to him.

"Sakura? Are you okay?", Suigetsu moved closer.

"S-Sorry! I- I'm… not feeling… well!", Sakura told him. "Please.. brrg- "

"Sakura!" Sasuke sounded alarmed.

"Please tell Orochimaru-san I'm sick and… brrg-"

"Sakura!", It was Suigetsu's turn to worry.

"I'm sorry! I don't think I can go back with you~ I- I- I'm gonna throw up!"

Sakura ran away, leaving the three behind.

"Sakura!"~

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura rushed out the door.

…

**/"So, you live here with your boyfriend?"/**

…

Passersby gave her curios and quizzical looks

…

**/"…he doesn't exactly live here. He does come over sometimes but most of the time he goes home to his house."/**

**/"He has a house? Why doesn't he ask you to move in and live with him instead?"/**

**/"It's technically not _his_ house. He had to move in there to live with… a relative."/**

…

Feeling nauseous, she staggered as she moves away from the store.

…

**/"I had to live with my mother's relatives. … Sasuke was in the same situation, with his father's relative."/**

…

**['Back then…!']**

…

**/"Anyway before I send Sasori an e-mail, I thought I'd ask Nurse Rin to take a look at it. I wanted her opinion on whether I was able to write a convincing piece. But I have no way to know when she's around or not busy so I thought I'd ask Karin to hold onto it and hand it to Nurse Rin when they see each other."/**

**/"I can hand this to her during lunch for you?"/**

…

**['…Sasuke-kun meant Nurse Rin.']**

…

**/"Thanks. … So what did Karin say? How did Nurse Rin find it?"/**

**/"She said it was pretty good. According to... the nurse, it's as if it was written by an actual medical student…"/**

…

**['All this time…']**

…

**/"B-By the way, I just remembered I still haven't thank you for proofreading my revision on Sasori's practice thesis."/**

**/"Right. The one Uchiha brought to me."/**

**/"Directly? He didn't ask Karin to hand it for me?"/**

**/"Uhm, no. He personally came to me."/**

…

Sakura faltered.

**['Idiot!']**

…

**/"So, you ended up being a great partner to Uchiha. What's he like?"/**

**/"He's okay I guess. He's actually more tolerant of people as long as you know how to approach him."/**

**/"Hm~ … You're also more tolerant of people nowadays. I noticed you've improved your relations with Uzumaki Naruto as well."/**

**/"Eh?... Ehehehe~ When you can keep up with an Uchiha, you can tolerate any other type of people."/**

**/"That's sort of right, I supposed."/**

…

She turned left at the corner of the building…

**['I'm such a big idiot!']**

…

**/"But he's not so bad really. If you look close enough you'll see his kind gestures and find a sweet side to him, hidden somewhere deep inside… all that hard and stoic surface. They're faint and so tiny that if you look away for even a second, you'll end up missing it. But if you do see it, you'll find it one heck of a sight to look at. Very beautiful and very captivating."/**

**/"Sounds like you think he's a truly wonderful person. … I'm glad to hear that."/**

…

…and walked into the alley.

**['It was right in front of me all along!']**

…

**/"Are you talking about Uchiha Sasuke?"/**

**/"Nurse Rin."/**

…

She walked faster as she felt she had reached her limit.

**['Right from the start!']**

…

**/"Anyway, Uchiha; any particular reason why he's been mentioned?"/**

**/"Why the sudden interest in him? … Oh right, he visits the infirmary a lot lately. Maybe _you're_ the reason?!"/**

**/"Miss Yamanaka. Just what are you implying?"/**

**/"Just kidding! But who knows? Maybe you're actually his type Nurse Rin?"/**

**/"He does come to the infirmary sometimes but he doesn't stay for too long. … Karin drives him away with her quirks."/**

…

**['From… the very… beginni-']**

…

**/"Since day one."/**

…

**['No~']**

…

**/"I couldn't help it. As it turned out, my heart was already taken by Sasuke-kun before I even realized it."/**

…

**['She was there! Nurse Rin was right beside me that time!']**

…

**/"The moment our eyes met, I was... _captivated_. When he responded to my gesture, my heart skipped a beat. Something inside me was stirred."/ **

…

**['It wasn't me at all.']**

…

**/"But maybe that was his charm. Sasuke-kun is like an unreachable entity. I supposed it made people think that; if you were acknowledged by him, you must be someone very special."/**

…

**['Not me.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

_~Blargh~_

Sakura let everything out into the nearby dumpster.

…

…

…

"What happened to you?", Sasuke suddenly came up from behind her.

"Go… a- … Go away~! … Don't look! Don't look at… me!"

"Too late. I've already seen everything."

She was flustered. "I said… go away… _fweh_! Please."

Sakura began feeling for her handkerchief.

"Here." Sasuke held out some tissues and a bottle of water to her.

"I don't need your help. Now leave me alone already."

"Are we going to go through this again?"

"…"

Sasuke handed her the items again.

Sakura grabbed the items out of his hand.

Sasuke stepped back as Sakura straightened herself.

She turned away from him and began cleaning herself up.

"Did you have a drink or something?"

"No!", she retorted. "I just… had an anxiety attack. It's normal. It happens a lot though it hadn't happened in a while."

…

"I sent Suigetsu back after paying for the items.", he informed her. "Don't worry you won't get in trouble for this."

"N-Nurse Rin?"

"She also went ahead."

"H-How long were you and Nurse Rin- N-Nevermind! It's none of my business!"

"Over… three months I think."

"Oh. A-Around the same time she started working as the school nurse."

"Aa."

"When were you planning on telling Karin?"

"Huh? … We didn't want it to… affect her apprenticeship. It's very important for her and her father so~!"

"Does Naruto know?"

"Aa."

"Does Kakashi-sensei know?"

"Aa."

"I see." Sakura finished cleaning up.

She discarded the used tissues and the plastic bottle before making a move to leave.

"Sakura."

"I won't tell Karin anything so… keep your promise."

"…?!"

"I said I'd support you remember?"

Sasuke nodded despite his confusion.

"So, make sure you tell Karin everything. Stop lying to her. She deserves better."

"A-Aa. In… due time."

"When is due time?! She needs to-"

_("Sakura?")_

Sakura and Sasuke looked at Sasori who just came into the alley.

"Sasori.", Sakura was surprised to see him.

"What are you doing here?", he wondered.

"I- I was running some errands for Orochimaru-san. But then I had an anxiety attack and felt nauseous so I ran all the way back here.", she explained. "W-What about…you?"

"I was driving by when I caught a glimpse of you walking out of that store. I immediately stopped but… I was hesitating to come and see you." Sasori glanced at Sasuke. "Then I saw him… get out of the store and quickly made his way to go after you. I- … I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah.", Sakura lowered her head. "I'm fine. I feel better now."

"You don't look fine at all." Sasori walked towards Sakura.

"S-Sasori I-"

"It's okay.", he interjected. "Everything's okay now. We're fine." Sasori reached for her hands again.

"But-"

Sasori hugged her. "It's fine Sakura. It really is. I'm okay now so…"

"Sasori?!"

"I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye."

"N-No! I'm the one who has to apologize.", Sakura whimpered. "I'm really sorry. Sorry for being selfish. And sorry for being so unfair with you."

"Let's just forget about all that okay?" Sasori held her tighter. "None of that matters anymore."

Sakura weakly nodded. "Okay."

Sasori pulled himself back. "Let's go. I'll take you home so you can get some rest."

Sasori spared Sasuke a look as she was pulling Sakura out of the alley. "Thanks for always looking out for her. But I'm here now so you can go ahead and go to wherever you need to be."

"…"

"Sasori."

"Come on Sakura." Sasori let go of Sakura's hand and put it around her shoulder instead.

"Huh?!"

"Say goodbye to your friend."

"I- Uhm…" Sakura turned towards Sasuke. "G-Good night. I'll see you tomorrow at work."

Sasuke nodded.

"Bye then.", bid Sasori as he led Sakura away.

Sakura glanced back at Sasuke.

Sakuke placed his hands inside his pocket as he watch them leave.

"Sakura."

* * *

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

"Sakura.", Choji – who was wearing a beige tuxedo with a red neck tie – called her attention.

"Hm?"

"Looks like we're each other's date for this wedding huh?"

"Karui isn't coming?"

"She's out of town."

"Haruno-san. Akimichi-san. Move a little closer.", Sai instructed.

"Okay.", said Sakura.

Sakura wore the empire waist dress and Ino was wearing a violet hourglass dress with a sweetheart neckline.

"Just call me Choji."

Sakura moved closer to Ino and Choji moved closer to her.

"Now, Nara-san and… Sabaku-san. Come closer as well."

"All right.", said Temari. Temari opted to wear business attire – that composed of a black suit and a red dress shirt – instead of a dress.

"Just start calling us by our names already man.", Shikamaru told him as he moved closer to his girlfriend.

"S-Sure."

Shikamaru and Sai were both wearing a classic black tuxedo.

"Sai. Can you just take the picture now?" Ino was getting impatient.

"Okay. Everyone smile."

Sakura smiled weakly.

"Ready and… 3, 2, 1"

~ _Whirr, Zoom, Click~_

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_Noir_ **

…

_You'd love me to bits, if I wasn't already in pieces_

_I don't want you, but I don't want to be without this_

_Gave you sign after sign, time after time_

_Will we sink or swim, treading this water till we descend_

_We never win, one more loss and I'm lost till the end_

_We told lie after lie, time after time_

_We're going really deep now, we're going really deep now_

_And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath_

_But don't you dare drown, don't you dare_

_Going really deep now, we're going really deep now_

_And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath_

_But don't you dare drown, don't you dare_

_Pain doesn't last, but we dived in head second, heart first_

_We could be the best, but I can't stop living in fear of the worst_

_Sleepless night after night, time after time_

_We're going really deep now, we're going really deep now_

_And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath_

_But don't you dare drown, don't you dare_

_Going really deep now, we're going really deep now_

_And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath_

_But don't you dare drown, don't you dare_

_Don't you, don't you_

_Don't you dare drown on me_

_Don't you dare drown on me_

_We're going really deep now, we're going really deep now_

_And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath_

_But don't you dare drown, don't you dare_

_Going really deep now, we're going really deep now_

_And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath_

_But don't you dare drown, don't you dare_

_Gave you sign after sign, time after time_

_We told lie after lie, time after time_

_(OUT OF OUR DEPTH – Lauren Aquilina)_

**...**

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_TBC_ **


	24. 6.1

**(6.1)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _It's been a while since we were able to talk like this."_**

**_Noir_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

~ _Hum-Hum—Humhumm~_

A young woman with rose gold hair and green eyes - wearing a celadon silk empire waist dress - walked along an arcade that was decorated with roses, purple orchids, camellias, stephanotis and peonies.

_~Hum-Hum—Humhumm~_

She gazed up at the ceiling that was embellished with white and violet draperies.

_~Hum-Hum—Humhumm-Hum—Hum-Hum—Hum—Humhumm~_

She eventually reaches a three way fork and takes the left path.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura found herself walking into a wide garden that overlooks the town. In the center of the garden was a huge tent that was set up for the wedding. The decorations continue all the way up to the wedding altar.

She made her way to the viewing platform at the very end of the property. After reaching the very edge of the deck, she turned around and gave herself a moment to marvel at the huge ancestral house from which she had come from – the Uzumaki ancestral house that stood on that very ridge.

…

_("Careful with those!")_

_("Yes Sir!")_

Sakura turned to glance at some men that seemed to be setting something up.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

"Fireworks?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Karin.

Karin nodded. "Let's go see it together."

"We're working this weekend, remember?", said Sasuke, turning away from Karin.

"We're working every weekend Sasuke-kun!", Karin muttered as she followed him. "At this rate we'll never get to watch even one firework display this summer."

Sasuke walked towards the service hatch to place the order slip on the counter. "It can't be helped."

Tayuya received the order slip.

Karin also handed her order slip to Tayuya. "Well, can't we ask Orochimaru-san for a weekend off just this once? And then we can just not have our day off next week instead.", she told Sasuke.

"This place is packed during the weekends."

"But-"

"We're not the only ones who are going to miss it. Everyone else will be working that day too."

"Everyone but Sakura." Karin pouted and pointed at her.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura who had been tending at the bar, watching them all along.

"Her day off is on Sunday and she's probably gonna go see it with Sasori.", Karin added holding on to Sasuke's arm and shaking it like a child.

Sakura executes her task all the while listening to them.

"Naruto's planning to go.", continued Karin.

"…"

"Don't you want the three of us to go together like old times?"

Sasuke sighed.

Karin's face brightened up. "There it is~

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You're considering it, aren't you?"

Sasuke deadpanned.

Karin put her palms together.

"Just this once."

Karin grinned.

"I'll ask Orochimaru."

"Yay~!", Karin beamed. "It's a date!"

"Naruto better be there Karin or it's off."

"Hehe."

"Are you listening to me?"

"Hai~!", Karin grinned. "Sasuke-kun and I are gonna go see the fireworks together~!"

"Oi-" Sasuke ended up glancing towards Sakura again.

Sakura gave Sasuke a knowing look that made him uncomfortable.

…

"Here you go!" Tayuya came back to them with a plate of yakitori and two servings of sushi.

"Thanks.", said Sasuke.

"No wait I got it." Karin offered. "I'll take both of them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah!

"Don't work too hard."

"I'm going to clock out after this anyway. Table 12 right?"

"A-Aa."

Karin cheerfully left Sasuke and went on to serve the food.

"Well, someone's ecstatic.", Tayuya commented.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Did you see that?!", Sakura sneered. "Why won't he just tell her that he already has a girlfriend?!"

"…"

"Suigetsu?" Sakura turned to look at him.

Suigetsu was placing the cocktails that Sakura had just prepared on his tray.

"Suigetsu. Are you listening?"

"Huh?! Oh. Yeah."

"Wh- What's wrong? You're acting like nothing happened?"

"I… Uhm. It's not my place to say… anything about it."

"Oh~ So, you can say Karin is 'bitchy' because you thought she sees Sasuke-kun like he's just some piece of meat but you have nothing to say about Sasuke-kun leading her on despite being already… involve with someone else?"

Suigetsu looked her in the eyes as he said; "No comment."

"Wh- … You're totally on his side!"

"Not really.", Suigetsu shrugged. "Not on this one. But… like I said, it's not my place to speak."

"Four umeshu tonic and six beers." Sasuke came over causing the both of them to flinch in surprise.

Sasuke looked at Suigetsu. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!"~

Sasuke looked at Sakura who hadn't moved at all.

Sakura pressed her lips together and blinked her eyes away from Sasuke to Suigetsu.

Suigetsu cleared his throat and averted his eyes from the other two.

Sasuke started tapping his fingers on the bar top.

"R-Right." Sakura immediately got to work.

Sasuke looked at Suigetsu again.

Suigetsu let out a sigh as he faced him. "Chill man! I know my place. But just so you know… if it were me, I'd definitely go for it.", Suigetsu told him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means~" Suigetsu held out his hand and rested it on top of Sakura's head.

Sakura was taken aback. "Er…"

"I'm supporting Sakura on this one." Suigetsu grinned and gave her a wink.

"If it's not any trouble…"

The three of them turned their heads towards Sasori who was sitting in one of the bar stools close by.

Sasori smiled at Suigetsu. "Can you take your hands off of her head?"

"Totally forgot he was here.", Suigetsu remarked as he drew his hand back. "Well if you'll excuse me, I got drinks to serve."

Suigetsu picked up the tray and left the three of them on their own.

"Me too. Just so you know.", Sasuke implied.

"Oh! Hold on!", Sakura quickly got back to work.

"Hey.", Sasori greeted Sasuke.

"Hey.", Sasuke greeted back.

Both of them kept their eyes on Sakura who was feeling a bit uneasy as she started putting ingredients into the shaker.

"I hope you~ all don't mind me taking up a space in the bar while waiting on Sakura to get off work.", Sasori started.

"You are a paying customer after all."

"Even though… I've only had one bottle of soda the whole time?"

"You mean… that's all she wants to serve you."

Sasori chuckled. "I'm driving her home after all."

"Of course." Sasuke shifted from where he stood. "Since the last time she served you something with alcohol, for some reason, you ended up walking out on her."

Sasori chortled. "Trust me. You do _not_ want… to go there."

"Don't I?"

"You-"

"I'm almost done!", Sakura interrupted. "But uhm… d-do you want to serve the beers first?"

The two boys ended their conversation after exchanging one last irritated glance at each other.

Sasuke nodded at Sakura.

…

"Here." Sakura laid some napkins on the tray with six beer mugs.

Sasuke picked up the tray and took his leave.

"Well wasn't that awkward?" Sasori joked.

Sakura exhaled heavily before pouring the cocktail mixture into glasses. "Please don't make it hard for me to work here."

"What did I do?"

She rolled her eyes then proceeded to garnish the drinks with cherries.

"You're mad?"

"No. I'm not."

"Yes you are. And I'm sorry. But can you really blame me?"

Sakura looked at him. "Sasori. It's Friday. One more day and then it's my day off. Then…it's just four weeks to go. Four weeks. That's all I'm asking."

"Four weeks and then everything goes back to the way it used to be?"

"Yes!"

Sasori nodded. "I'll endure."

"Thank you." Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

Sasori reached for her hands. "Anything for you."

They smiled gently at one another.

"Ahem~ Excuse me." Suigetsu appeared, ruining their moment. "Sasuke sent me to get these."

He picked up the tray that Sakura had prepared earlier. "Sorry about that. Carry on then."

"That guy's timing is… impeccable.", Sasori commented.

Sakura giggled. "Tell me about it."

"Excuse me." A young woman approached the bar.

"Yes ma'am." Sakura turned to her. "What can I g-"

"A few seconds of your time would be nice.", said Rin.

Sakura moved away from Sasori, took a towel and began wiping the bar top all the way towards Rin. "Listen if you're worried about… word getting out, it won't. I won't tell anyone about it. I couldn't… even if I want to anyway because one; I already decided to support Sasuke-kun and two; I want either you or him to tell Karin the truth yourselves."

"I knew it." Rin murmured and let out a sigh. "I believe we got ourselves caught up in a complicated situation."

"Yes, it… seems."

"I don't know how much you already know. Sasuke-kun…" Rin glanced at Sasuke who was too busy to notice her presence in the bar. She then looked back at Sakura. "He said he'll be the one to explain things to you but I don't think he fully understands the situation himself."

"…"

"I haven't told him about-" Rin took a glimpse of Sasori. "The things we talked about inside my car and at my apartment will remain between the two of us."

"T-Thank you. I… appreciate that."

Rin nodded. "So, did Sasuke-kun talk to you already?"

Sakura shook her head. "We've been busy and… There's no time."

"I see. I- Oh how I wish I could do something about this situation but my current circumstance puts me in a position where… I have to act in favor of Sasuke-kun."

"That's understandable."

Rin shook her head. "There are so many things I can't disclose at the moment. I'm not certain how much I'm allowed to tell you-" Rin faltered. "…that won't end up compromising Sasuke-kun any further."

"You don't have to tell me anything. I'm not- Sasuke-kun never judged me for being romantically motivated so~"

"Sakura. I- Allow me to say this at least."

"…"

"Whatever happens…" Rin reached for Sakura's hand. "Don't blink. Or you'll end up missing it."

"…"

Rin drew her hand back and made a bee line for the exit.

Sakura watched her as she walks away.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura walked into the genkan, closing the door behind her.

"Tadaima!", she yelled back as she removed her shoes.

"Okaeri~", her father yelled from the living room.

"Did Sasori drop you off?", asked Kizashi, turning away from the television.

"Yes.", Sakura answered as she made her way towards the kitchen.

"Still not coming to introduce himself properly after all this time?" Mebuki spoke from the dining area. "Is he ever going to show his face to us one of these days?"

Sakura walked towards the sink. "And what would you do if you meet him?"

Mebuki stopped writing and looked away from her record book. "Tell him to stop putting ideas, like moving to Tokyo, inside your head of course."

Sakura made a move to get a glass of water. "Why is it that me going to Tokyo is such a big deal? Most people prefer to live in Tokyo."

"Most people can afford to live in Tokyo."

"I'll figure something out. I'll find a part time job. It's common."

"Right. Maybe you can work for a _bar_ in Tokyo while you're studying medicine there."

Sakura sighed.

"Mebuki." Kizashi joined them. "Let it go. Aren't you glad that she's not shutting herself inside her room and burying herself in her books for once? It's the first summer that she's active and she's not even doing anything wrong by bartending. She's not neglecting her chores either. She helps as much in the bath house during the day."

Mebuki threw her hands in the air. "Go ahead and side with her. Let her do what she wants. Whatever. If she ends up doing something stupid because of this, then… it's on _you._ "

"Sakura's not going to do anything she will regret. Won't you Sakura?"

Sakura approached the table and picked up the food left for her. "I'm just gonna eat this up in my room."

"Don't you want to heat it? It's gone cold.", asked Kizashi.

"Nah. I'm fine. I wouldn't wanna _raise the bills_."

"Don't you be a smart ass with us young woman!", Mebuki snapped at her.

"Okay~" Sakura used a sarcastic tone. "I'm going to my room now." Sakura excused herself and quickly ascended the stairs.

…

Sakura stopped just above the stairs and listens to her parents' conversation.

_("That child! I swear!")_

_("Calm down Mebuki. Don't you ever get tired of having an argument with your own daughter?")_

_("You think I like treating her this way?! You think I enjoy playing the role of the bad parent?! Everything I do and say to her is for her own good.")_

Sakura leaned her back on the wall and lowered her head.

_("Your daughter is a smart kid. But she won't learn the most important lessons in life if you don't give her a chance to live her life at all.")_

_("Are you suggesting we just let this… Sasori take her away?")_

_("No.")_

_("What if things don't turn out the way they want it to? What if they end up breaking up one day? What if… they're not even really meant for each other? How will Sakura cope up with that huh?! If every decision she makes and every move she takes now is based on impressing him?")_

_("That's not-")_

_("I just don't want our daughter to one day find herself, in a position where she'll end up regretting the fact that she wasted her entire life for that boy.")_

_("But you want her to one day find herself, in a position where she'll end up regretting the fact that she wasted her life for US?")_

_("Kizashi? What are you saying? I would never-")_

_("I get it! You don't want Sakura to make the wrong decision. And right now… the fact that she's devoting herself to Sasori could very much end up being one of the biggest wrong decisions she'll make in her life. But that's not how Sakura sees it. Because at the moment… Sakura feels like anywhere is better than here with us.")_

"…?!" Sakura was surprised to hear this from her father.

_("Don't you get it Mebuki? Our daughter is not stupid. But she rather end up getting hurt by other people than stay here and end up hating us for the rest of her life. And I believe that deep down… you know it too.")_

_("Kizashi.")_

_("Now, I don't know about you but… I rather be the guy my daughter runs to after some bastard hurts her or make her feel sad, than be the guy she runs away from. And I especially don't want to be the guy who made her run away with some bastard who'll end up hurting her just because she can't stand being near me in the first place._

_If it's okay with you, I'd like to spend as much time with my baby girl before she's all grown up and ready to leave me for the world? … I hope it can be easier for her to be here at home while she's still living with us, if that's not too much to ask?")_

…

Sakura quietly moves from her position and makes her way to her bedroom.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura rested her hands on the railing of her balcony. In between her hands was her phone which she had been staring at for a while now.

Her phone suddenly rings and she immediately picks it up.

"Hello."

" _Hi Sakura. I just got home."_

"Sasori?"

" _What is it?"_

"I just… thought of something."

" _Uhuhm~"_

"I get off of work early on Saturdays so… How would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night?"

" _Come over~ to your house tomorrow night?"_

"Yes."

" _Are your parents going somewhere tomorrow night?"_

"N-No! They will be here at home."

" _You mean… you're asking me to have dinner with you and your parents?"_

"Yes"

Sasori chuckled.

"I'm serious."

" _Oh. OH. Er… I don't know if I'm up for that. I mean… your parents~ hate me."_

"They don't _hat_ e you."

" _They're not fond of me either."_

"They just haven't met you yet."

" _Would meeting me change that?"_

"I think it would."

" _I think… if given the opportunity, your parents will end up asking me to talk you out of moving to Tokyo no matter what."_

"Er… But what if… they somehow change their mind? What if we could get them to understand? What if they eventually give us their blessings?"

" _They could change their mind. They could understand. They could end up giving us their blessings. But will that make them happy? Is that what they would really want for you?_

"…"

" _Sakura. I don't want to hold onto the false hope that your parents will eventually come to accept me. I don't want to find myself face to face with them while they put on fake smiles and tell me that I have their blessings when deep inside all I'll ever be is the guy who will take you away from them._

"Sasori."

" _I rather they see me as a disrespectful, gutless boy who could never bring myself to face them than to see my own reflection in their eyes as they look on with disdain."_

Sakura let out a sigh.

" _D-Does that makes sense? Or am I just being overly dramatic right now?"_

"…"

" _Sakura?"_

"No. I- I completely get it. I- I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate."

" _You're not inconsiderate. It's normal for you to want me and your parents to get along. It's just that… Why would their opinion even matter anyway, right? They clearly never once tried to understand you."_

"That's- I…"

**['I was wrong.']**

" _Even if your parents never acknowledge me as long as you want to be with me then that's enough reason for me to fight for you. You and me; It's all that matters. And… we're going to be together soon, right? "_

**['It's probably too late anyway.']**

"Yeah."

" _How about~ we, just the two of us go out for dinner tomorrow night instead? Like a real date for once. I'll take you to this fancy restaurant."_

"…"

" _Sakura?"_

Sakura let out a sigh. "Hm~"

" _Say yes."_

"All right. Yes."

" _That's great. I'll see you tomorrow then okay?"_

"Yeah."

" _Good night."_

"Good night Sasori."

Sakura ended the call and was about to head inside when she noticed she had one unread message.

…

_*I tried calling as soon as I read your message but your number was busy.*_

-she read.

Sakura hesitated but started typing a reply.

_*Wrong send. Just ignore it.*_

Sakura sent the message and went back inside her room.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Once inside she went to lie down on her bed. That's when her phone rang.

Sakura sat up when she read who the caller was and answered the call. "Sasuke-kun?"

" _Aa. Uchiha. Not the other Sasuke(-kun)."_

"What?!"

" _You said you sent the message with my name on it to me by mistake."_

"Eh?"

" _Your message was; Sasuke(-kun), please call me when you get the chance. You're the only one I can~"_

"…"

" _That's it. Now the way I see it, you either sent an incomplete message or you weren't able to delete all of the parts that you realized you didn't want me, or should I say this other Sasuke, to read."_

**['Damn it.']**

Sakura's left palm made contact with her face.

**['Wait?!']**

"I typed in 'Sasuke-kun'?"

" _Did you mean to write Sasori?"_

"Y-Yes~" she didn't sound convincing.

" _Then I hope you didn't end up sending him that very same text."_

"Er…"

" _Because if you did, this is the part where I laugh at you and you should start feeling extremely embarrassed."_

"Okay! I lied!" Sakura flopped back down on her bed. She kept her left hand covering her blushing face. "That text was in fact intended for you."

" _I figured. … Your number was busy until a while ago so I supposed you were just on the phone with Sasori?"_

"Yes." She turned to her side.

" _Then whatever it was that you wanted to tell me, you already discussed with him?"_

"Not quite."

" _But for some reason you feel that it's no longer necessary to tell me."_

"Uhm…" Sakura bit her thumbed making her voice sound muffled. "More like I sent that message on the spur of the moment but after talking to Sasori, I realized that it did… concern him more than it did you… Er…"

" _I see. You don't have to tell me then if you already decided that it's not really any of my concern but… Why was I the one you thought of messaging… on the spur of the moment?"_

"Oh. Because… You're the only person who knows about the real issue I have with my… _parents_.", she whispered the last word.

" _Was it about them?"_

"Y-Yeah."

"…"

"Uhm… you still there?"

" _Aa."_

"Why did you suddenly… get quiet?"

" _I was considering whether or not to press you on the matter."_

"Oh."

" _I…"_

Sakura reached for her blanket and pulled it over her head.

"My parents maybe considering letting me move to Tokyo.", she just went and told him anyway, with a lowered voice. "And letting me date Sasori as well… when the time comes that is."

" _They told you that?"_

"No. I sort of heard them talking and it sounded like they were finally coming to terms with what I want to do with my life. That or… they just finally decided to let me be the bad daughter so they don't have to feel like they were the bad parents. "

" _How is it that you always arrive to a bad conclusion when it comes to your parents?"_

"I told you! The damage has been done to me. I can come up with multiple negative reasons why they're suddenly having a change of heart."

" _Like?"_

"What if it's just… reverse psychology? What if it's just a plot to make me give up on my dream all on my own by making me feel guilty?

" _Or you could just be feeling really guilty right now? … Well, what's the worst case scenario?"_

"A calm before the storm. A last minute effort so we can go our separate ways with a few good memories of being a happy family. Maybe they just accepted the fact that things won't get better between us. That regardless of whether I get their support or not, I'll end up walking out of the door anyway. What if they're okay with the idea of me not wanting to come back? What if for them, me leaving will be like… _Good riddance_?"

" _How about this? Maybe they found a way to compromise. Maybe there was another option all along. Sakura they're your parents. Parents do that. They find ways to support their children. I find it hard to believe that they haven't been doing anything at all to figure a way out to help you the whole time."_

"Do you really think so?"

" _I do."_

"What if you're wrong?"

" _Then at least… you get to walk away from all of this with the knowledge of being right all along about your parents. And you can finally stop feeling guilty for wanting to leave them all this years."_

"That doesn't make me feel better at all!" she threw her hand and her legs in the air, sending her blanket to slide off her bed.

" _Sorry. My bad."_

"Don't apologize." Sakura let her body relaxed into the mattress, smiling. "I lied. It did make me feel better."

" _Hn."_

"Thank you."

" _Aa."_

"I just realized… it's been a while since we were able to talk like this."

" _Aa."_

"By the way, aren't you still at work?"

" _Aa."_

"Are you on break?"

" _Aa."_

"Oh, then I won't keep you longer. Thanks for calling me Sasuke-kun. I'll see you at work. Bye."

Sakura hung up and put her phone aside.

She rested both her hands on her chest as she stared at the ceiling.

**['Enough.']**

…

**/"I know I've been very invasive when it comes to your relationship with Sasori. I know I've had a huge influence in your decisions over the years and I feel really guilty. I value our friendship the most. I would do anything to protect the both of you. Of course I'd be happy if the two of you ended up together but …**

**I don't want either one of you to give up on your happiness. And I especially don't want either one of you to put yourself in a situation that you'll end up regretting someday.**

**I guess what I'm trying to say is… I want you to be happy and be with someone that will make you fall in love for real. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to love and be love. And… So does Sasori.**

**I don't want either one of you to hinder one another of the chance to find someone that will truly love each one of you."/**

**/"Ino."/**

**/"I love you Sakura no matter what. I'll always be your friend. Same goes for Sasori. Neither of you will be completely left alone so~"/**

…

**['Enough of this already.']**

…

**/"You don't deserve them! … Not Sasuke! Not even Sasori-sempai!"/**

…

Sakura brought up her forearms and laid them over her eyes.

…

**/"…I'm not sorry for liking someone. I'm not sorry for confessing my feelings. I'm not sorry for falling in love. And I'm not sorry for the friends I've made; no matter how much any of you think I don't deserve it."/**

…

**['I'm the worst. I'm the _absolute worst_!']**

**.**

**.**

**.**


	25. 6.2

**(6.2)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**_"The irony of that is…"_ **

Sakura stood in front of the mirror, checking her reflection. She wore a peach baby doll dress and a pair of white ankle strap low heeled sandal.

She considered for a moment before deciding to remove her hair clips.

She walked away from the mirror only to come back in a heartbeat and started putting her hair clips back on.

…

She looked at her phone for the time.

'07:23 pm / Sat, Aug 01'

Sakura picked up her white purse and placed her phone inside. She then made a move to exit the changing room.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura walked past Kin Tsuchi on her way to the service door.

"Wow. You look… pretty.", Tayuya remarked then turned to Sasuke. "Doesn't she?"

Sasuke, who was on his way to the kitchen with some dirty dishes, did a double take.

"A-Aa."

"Erm… Thanks.", Sakura brushed her hair behind her ear.

Sasuke nodded before getting back to work.

"Are you going out on a date?", Tayuya pressed.

"Y-Yes I am."

"Oh. Well. Have fun."

"Yeah. Thank you. I'll see you later."

"Okay.", Tayuya yelled back as she made her way into the kitchen.

Sakura exhaled heavily as she moved towards the exit.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Once outside, Sakura proceeded to the parking area.

Sakura smiled at Sasori as soon as she saw him waiting for her.

Sasori – who was wearing a black blazer over his red dress shirt, black skinny jeans and a pair of oxfords – smiled back at her.

Sakura looked around. "Er… where's your motorcycle?", she wondered.

"I swap my motorcycle with my friend's car just for tonight.", answered Sasori.

"Then?" Sakura look behind Sasori.

"Yep." Sasori smirked then move towards the car behind him.

"For real?"

Sasori made a move to open the door of the passenger seat. He then raised an eyebrow at Sakura as he held the door open for her.

Sakura grinned as she walked towards him.

"Thank you.", she told him before getting into the car.

Sasori closed the door as soon as she was settled inside.

Sakura smoothed down her hair as she watched Sasori move around the car to get to the driver's seat. She feels for her hairclips until Sasori opens the door.

Sasori got in the car and closed the door. "Here we go."

He put the key in the ignition and started the engine.

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

Sasori stopped the car in front of the valet parking of a restaurant.

They got down and Sakura read the letters on the marquee.

'Akatsuki'

She turned around and saw Sasori whispering something to the valet before letting him take his place in the driver's seat.

"What was that about?", Sakura asked him as soon as he joined her.

"Nothing. I just asked him nicely to… make sure the car doesn't get damaged. Don't want my friend to kill me.", Sasori explained as he led Sakura into the restaurant.

**.**

**.**

**.**

A waiter leads them to their table.

Sasori opens a chair for Sakura.

"T-Thanks." Sakura giggled as she sat down.

Sasori then walked towards the seat opposite hers.

Sakura took in the ambience as he sat down. "This place is lovely."

"I'm glad you like it."

The waiter handed them the menu and took his leave.

Sakura gave herself more time to appreciate the interior design of the place. "So… what's this design called?", she asked, turning to him.

"Contemporary. It's actually a clash of different styles."

"Really I hadn't notice. Everything looks so cohesive."

"It's well-blended together since they only used the colors; black, red and a little bit of white."

"I see."

"Let's order?" Sasori picked up his menu.

"Sure."

**.**

**.**

**.**

"How do you like the food?", wondered Sasori as he took a sip from his wine glass.

"It's really great." Sakura wiped her mouth with the table napkin. "Thank you for this wonderful dinner."

Sasori smiled.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The doorman opens the door for Sasori and Sakura as they stepped out of the restaurant.

"Sir. Ma'am. I hope you had a good time.", he gestured.

"Yes. Thank you.", Sakura acknowledged the man.

Sasori led Sakura out of the property.

"Uhm… What about the car?", Sakura realized.

"Oh… I…" Sasori smirked. "I asked the valet to park it two blocks down the street."

"Then…" Sakura smiled. "I guess were walking two blocks down."

"Indeed. Erm… Here." Sasori took off his blazer and put it over Sakura's shoulder.

"Thank you~", Sakura chuckled as she held the suit jacket in place.

"You're most welcome."

The two of them walked towards the sidewalk.

"So~ how am I doing so far? Does this feel like a real date?"

"Hm~ I'm not really sure." Sakura tried to tease him. "I've never been on a date before-"

_("Oh right.")_

**['…']**

…

**/"Come with me."/**

**/"What's with this situation?"/**

**/"Mou~"/**

**/"I bailed on work so I can bring you here. We're going in… Are you going to make me come and get you?"/**

**/"But..."/**

**/"Let's just go in. It's going to be fine."/**

**/"No. Wait!"/**

**/ "Come on."/**

**/"Boring?"/**

**/"Oh no you didn't?!"/**

**/"Still bored? … If you're happy then show it."/**

**/"So, what's the verdict?"/**

**/"Real enough."/**

…

"Sakura?"

"Hm?!"

Sakura snapped out of it and found Sasori leading by a few steps and looking back at her.

"Something on your mind?"

"No. It's nothing." Sakura brushed her hair down with her fingers as she took a step forward.

**['Nah. That wasn't a date at all.']**

…

"Are you sure everything's okay?"

"Yes." Sakura nodded. "C-Can I hold onto your arm?"

"S-Sure." Sasori blushed. "Tonight is special after all."

Sakura was blushing as well as she wrapped her hand around his arm.

The two of them walked on like this.

…

…

…

Just a few meters away from the restaurant, they came across a man who had just gotten out of his car.

Sakura noticed how he winced as soon as he closed the car door.

He then started making his way towards the other direction and Sakura could tell that he was uneasy.

They eventually passed each other and she heard the man's heavy breathing.

She kept looking back at the stranger who just seemed to find walking more and more difficult with every step he took.

"Sakura?", Sasori looked back at the old man as well. "Do you know him?"

"He does look familiar but… that's not why I'm concerned."

"What's the matter then?"

"I'm not sure. I could be wrong but doesn't he look like he's…"

The man's shortness of breath was now very obvious.

Sakura stopped when she saw that the man was hunching down. "I think something is wrong with him. He could be having a heart attack."

"Excuse me Sir!" she let go of Sasori and approached the man.

"Sak- Wait."

The man heard her but found it hard to turn around so Sakura opted to move in front of him instead.

"Do you need help?"

"No! I'm fine.", he tried to dismiss her concern. "I'm just tired- H-Have we met somewhere before?"

"I'm not so sure myself. Erm… Where are you headed? Let me assist you?"

"There's no need for that. I'm headed to that restaurant ahead. It's only a few meters away. I'll be fine. I'm meeting someone there."

Sakura noticed that the man had started to break out into sweats. "I- Uhm. Sasori!"

Sasori joined her and began analyzing his symptoms. "You're right."

"I said I'm fine." The man tried to laugh it off. "What is wrong with the both of you?"

"Sir. I don't mean to scare you… but… You are having a heart attack.", Sasori told him.

"What?!" The man suddenly grabs his chest.

"I am a medical student." Sasori feels around for his wallet and takes it out so he can show the man his i.d. "And, s-sorry to tell you… based on the symptoms you're exhibiting you're having a heart attack." Sasori explained.

"That's…"

"Sir it's better to be safe than sorry." Sasori told him and motioned for a street bench. "I think it's best if you sit down for now."

"But-"

"Uncomfortable pressure or a squeezing pain right in the center of your chest that's slowly spreading beyond to your shoulders, neck, jaw and one or both arms.", said sakura causing both males to turn to her.

"Shortness of breath, Cold sweats, light-headedness and suddenly feeling fatigue.", she added. "You are currently experiencing these symptoms now, aren't you?"

The man rubs at his chest and after a brief moment nodded.

"Please let us help you."

He complies and takes his seat on the bench.

Sasori joined him. "This may be hard given the situation but try your best to keep calm okay?"

"Y-Yes."

"Do you have a heart condition?"

"Ha!" The man chuckled in spite of himself. "I thought I didn't but… I'm… not sure anymore."

"When was the last time you had a check-up?"

"About… a year ago. Probably… longer..."

"Is this the first time you've experience all this symptoms all at once?"

"I-" the man suddenly gritted his teeth and started clenching his suit just over his chest.

"Sakura!" Sasori turned to her. "Run back to the restaurant and get them to call an ambulance-"

Sakura just hung up. "I just called Nurse Rin. She's getting a hold of an ambulance now.", said Sakura as he handed her purse and Sasori's blazer back to him then started walking off.

"Where are you going then?"

"Back at the restaurant. I'm going to find the person he's supposed to meet." Sakura halted, looking back at them. "Is it a man or a woman?"

"Sir? The person you're meeting, is it a man?" Sasori turned back to the man. "It's okay to just nod."

The old man nodded through his chest pain. "My… u-uncle."

Sakura turned on her heel and sprinted off.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Ma'am?", the doorman recognized her. "Did you forget something?"

"Not really. Excuse me." Sakura responded despite being in a hurry.

…

Sakura approached the concierge.

"I'm sorry!", she interrupted the concierge who was talking to a customer at that point. She turned to the customer first. "You wouldn't happen to be meeting your nephew here would you?", she inquired.

The old man shook his head.

"I see. Excuse me for a bit." Sakura then turned to the concierge. "We met a man not far from here and he isn't feeling very well. He's supposed to meet his uncle here… Err… sorry I didn't have the time to ask for his name or his uncle's name. It was sort of sudden and he's really having breathing difficulty.

Can you help me find which one his uncle is among the people here and if he's not here yet… could you maybe… call those who made a reservation to see if he's the one we're looking for?"

"Yes ma'am." The concierge nodded.

"Thank you. And… Sorry to trouble you like this."

The lady immediately called for some of the waiters. She instructed one to take the old man to his table and the rest to ask around for anyone who is supposed to meet his nephew.

"Uhm…One more thing.", said Sakura. "You won't happen to have an aspirin lying around here would you?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura returned to Sasori with one of the security personnel.

"Sasori!", she called.

Sasori quickly stood up and met her halfway. "Did you find his uncle?"

"The staffs are asking around as we speak."

"They'll contact me as soon as they find who we're looking for.", said the security personnel as he went ahead of them. "But maybe he can provide a specific description or the name of his uncle so we can find him faster."

"Here." Sakura held out the aspirin. "I thought he might need to chew on this as soon as possible."

Sasori was amazed "Good thinking Sakura."

"That's…" the security personnel seemed to recognize the man. "Sir, is everything all right? H-He's not responding!"

"What?!" Sasori had just taken the aspirin off Sakura's hands. He rushed back to the man's side. "Sir?"

Sasori checked the man. "He has no pulse! I- Help me lay him down!", he snapped.

The other guy helped Sasori lay the unconscious man down. "Now what?!"

Sasori was frozen.

"Sasori!", Sakura yelled. "If he went into cardiac arrest then we need to keep the blood circulating."

Sasori shakily unfastened the man's shirt.

"Can you make a call to Konoha General Hospital and follow up on the ambulance.", Sakura told the other guy who looked like he would've also stopped breathing if she didn't give him something to do.

"Yes ma'am!", he responded and pulled out his radio.

She then turned back to Sasori only to find him just staring at the unconscious person.

"Uhm, okay… I gotta… I know how to perform CPR but… I hadn't practiced what I learned."

**['He's panicking.']**

"Err… where exactly on the chest… was I supposed to push? Should I… ugh... form a fist and push down with my knuckles, or use the ball of my hand?"

"Move over!", Sakura instructed.

"Huh?!"

"Sasori move over!", Sakura took Sasori's place beside the man.

She placed both of her hands, one on top of the other, over the center of the man's breast bone. She pressed down hard and then allowed the man's chest to relax. She repeated the process continuously following a rhythm.

…

…

…

After a few seconds, the man gasped.

"He's breathing." Sasori let out a sigh of relief. "Is he conscious?"

Sakura continued pumping.

The man started twitching.

"He's moving.", Sasori noted. "Look. You can stop. Sakura-"

"I can't!", Sakura snapped.

Sasori fell silent.

"I can't stop. Not until the ambulance gets here."

Sakura exhaled heavily as she endured the strain that she was starting to feel on her shoulders and arm muscles.

Sasori could only watch as she desperately tried to keep the man alive.

"Sasori, Are you paying attention?"

"…"

"Sasori! I need you to look closely at how I do it."

"I- Okay." Sasori turned serious.

"You're gonna have to relieve me in a while. Can you do that?"

"Yes." Sasori rolled up his sleeves and positioned himself to be able to relieve Sakura any moment.

They nodded at each other and Sakura let Sasori continue the CPR.

Sakura stepped back, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The paramedics pushed through the door of the Emergency Department of Konoha General Hospital, wheeling in the stretcher that carried the man – now intubated.

Sakura and Sasori walked behind them.

"Sakura!", Rin called her attention and approached them.

The rest of the medical staff she was with met the paramedics and quickly got to work transferring the man's body to one of the beds.

_("We got a male. Mid-twenties. SCA due to a heart attack.")_

"Nurse Rin."

"T-This is Dr. Hiruzen Sarutobi.", Rin introduced the old man behind her. "He's the resident cardiologist."

Sakura and Sasori bowed to the old man.

"Doctor. They're the ones who called me about the patient's possible heart attack so I made the call to dispatch an ambulance."

"I see. You seemed to have made the right judgement." The doctor told them as he glanced at the patient before the medical personnel proceeded to draw the curtains. "Excuse us."

Sakura nodded and watched Rin and the doctor walked towards the bed.

"The patient was found to be pulseless and unresponsive by that fellow, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately started by that young lady beside him. They switched with each other every two minutes until we got there. Upon our arrival, the automated external defibrillator advised shock and he was defibrillated thrice. Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 15 minutes. He was then intubated for airway protection.", the paramedic reported.

Rin was writing down on her chart.

"Nohara.", the doctor spoke as soon as he had a good look at the patient.

"Doctor?", Rin looked away from her chart.

"You're off this case."

"Doctor?!"

"You!", the doctor pointed at one of the other nurses on standby. "Take her place."

The said nurse reluctantly approached Rin and held her hand out for Rin to hand over the chart.

"But why?", Rin questioned his decision.

"Hospital policy.", he merely stated.

Rin dropped the chart before the other nurse could even hold it. She took a look at the patient and turned pale. "OBITO~!"

Sakura could only watch from afar as Rin was suddenly in a state of panic. "Nurse Rin."

"Get her out of here.", the doctor gestured.

Rin's co-workers immediately asked her to step away from the patient.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"So~" Sasori was rubbing his nape. "The guy turned out to be someone she knew?"

Sakura nodded. "Apparently. No wonder he looked familiar. I saw him once before."

Sasori shot himself up from his seat.

"Where are you going?", wondered Sakura.

"I'm going back for the car. I'm supposed to return that car to my friend before ten. I'll be back… with my motorcycle. You can wait here for me." Sasori gestured for Rin who was also at the waiting area, sitting not very far from them.

Sakura glanced at Rin who was hunched down as she stared at her phone. She then turned back to Sasori with a smile. "Okay. Thank you Sasori."

"Yeah." Sasori walked off. "Be right back."

Sakura stood up as soon as Sasori was gone and moved towards the troubled nurse.

"Nurse Rin.", she announced her presence.

Rin lifted her head to look at Sakura.

"Sakura. You're still here.", Rin exhaled heavily.

"They had us stay in case we needed to answer some questions. H-how are you holding up?"

Rin shook her head and smiled painfully at her.

Sakura sat down beside her.

She reluctantly tried to pat Rin's back but the young woman immediately hugged her first.

"Thank you for saving him.", Rin whimpered.

"I- I just… did what any other person would've done."

Rin shook her head and held onto Sakura tighter. "I heard what you told the staff. He wasn't even aware he was having a heart attack. Knowing Obito, he would've brushed it off as just symptoms of the flu."

Rin drew herself back. "You called it right and he was lucky you were there when he went into cardiac arrest. If he had collapsed when you weren't around or if someone else had been there instead of you, it would've been too late for him by the time the ambulance got there."

"Come on. Don't say that."

"Sakura. What you know is not common knowledge. And even if it was, other people won't normally be able to think and act calm in situations like that. You executed a proper first-aid response. Something not just anyone can do."

"I…"

"Rin!"

The two girls turned and saw Kakashi and Naruto approaching them. Kakashi was wearing a black long-sleeved turtleneck shirt, straight jeans and a pair of open toed leather sandals. Naruto wore an orange t-shirt, sweat pants and a pair of clogs.

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura stood up. "Naruto. Kakashi-sensei."

"Is Sasuke on his way.", Kakashi asked Rin.

"Sasuke-kun?", Sakura pardoned.

"Rin nodded."

"Karin too.", said Naruto. "She said she's coming back with Sasuke."

"Haruno? Why are you here?", inquired Kakashi.

"She was with Obito when he- She… saved him.", Rin announced, standing up. "He's alive because Sakura was there when it happened. She did her best to keep his blood circulating until the ambulance arrived at the scene."

"Haruno." Kakashi was both moved and impressed. He couldn't help himself from patting her head too fervently.

"K-Kakashi-sensei?! Your hand's heavy!"

Overwhelmed by joy and relief, Kakshi ended up smiling at her too passionately. "Thank you."

"Er…", Sakura blushed at his proximity.

"Hey! Move away from her." Naruto pulled Kakashi's hand away from Sakura's head. "Don't be creepy."

"S-Sorry." Kakashi stepped away from Sakura and moved towards Rin.

He reached for her shoulder and comforted her the best way he can. "He's going to pull through. I just know it. It's Obito we're talking about here."

Rin nodded. She crossed her arms together and pursed her lips trying her best not to break down.

…

"Naruto!"~

-Sasuke and Karin saw him first as they arrived.

"Teme!", Naruto waved at them. "We're all here."

"Nurse Rin.", Karin called to her mentor. "Erm… Sakura?"

"Sakura?", Sasuke was obviously not expecting to see her there as well. "What are you doing here?"

"I…"

"Sasuke-kun.", Rin walked towards him.

Sasuke's attention was immediately diverted to Rin.

"Er… Karin. Come with me.", Naruto pulled Karin's arm.

"Huh?!", Karin seemed confused.

"I-It's… It's Dad!", Naruto reasoned. "Yeah. He wanted to talk to you."

"What, right now? Can't it wait?"

"He told me to tell you to come see him as soon as you get back."

"But…"

"Come on. There's nothing much we can do by being here anyway."

"I want to be here for Sasuke-kun."

"He knows that. That's enough. Right Teme?"

"Aa. Thank you Karin."

"I'll get back as soon as I can Sasuke-kun.", said Karin as she reluctantly let Naruto pull her away.

"Yeah. Later Teme. Or just call me if you need anything."

Sasuke nodded at them.

As soon as they were gone, Rin closed the distance between her and Sasuke.

Sakura watched as Sasuke put his arms around Rin, who started crying on his shoulders. He then started gently rubbing at her back, soothing her worries.

Sasuke looked at Sakura as he hushed Rin's cries.

Sakura averted her eyes from Sasuke and went to pick up her purse and Sasori's blazer. She then smiled at Sasuke and Kakashi before taking her leave.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura killed time by hanging around the hospital cafeteria, drinking coffee.

"Haruno."

Sakura turned her head to find Kakashi with his own cup of coffee.

"Kakashi-sensei."

"Mind if I seat with you?"

"No. Go ahead."

"The doctor came a few moments after you left." Kakshi placed his cup of coffee on the table and pulled a chair.

"H-how is… he… doing?"

"For now they connected him to an… ECMO." Kakshi sat down. "I think they're considering an implantable… cardioverter defibrillator."

"I see. Erm… Nurse Rin? And… Sasuke-kun?"

"They went to check on him… in the ICU."

"Oh."

"Thanks for helping him."

"I- I hope he gets better. Uhm~"

"I supposed you have an idea as to who Obito is at this point?", asked Kakashi looking around the cafeteria.

"He's the friend you were talking about before. Sasuke-kun's uncle."

"Yes."

"Nurse Rin seemed really close to him as well."

Kakashi nodded.

"I think… I'm starting to see the whole picture now."

"Hm?"

"Nurse Rin. She's the reason why Sasuke-kun can't live with his uncle anymore isn't she?"

"Y-Yes."

"It must be… really… awkward huh? B-Between the three of them?"

"Yes." Kakashi leaned on the backrest. "Can you imagine how hard it is for me?"

"R-Right."

Kakashi's phone ring.

He pulled out his phone and answered the call. "Sasuke?"

Sakura shifted in her seat upon hearing his name.

"…Okay. I'm coming back now." Kakashi hung up and turned to Sakura. "I have to go Haruno."

"Okay."

"Sasuke asked me to stay with Rin while he talks to his grandfather."

**['Grandfather? Oh. Obito-san's uncle. They found him. That's good to hear.']**

Kakashi stood up and picked up the coffee cup. He nodded at Sakura before leaving her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura decided to wait for Sasori outside of the hospital.

As she stepped out of the hospital she saw Sasuke standing near the parking area with an old man.

Sakura proceeded to walk towards one of the planter benches situated near the parking area.

On her way to the bench, she couldn't help but glance at their direction.

Sasuke and his grandfather seemed like they were having a serious discussion.

It didn't even take a minute and Sasuke's grandfather was ready to leave. He patted Sasuke on his shoulder before moving towards the car in front of them.

Sakura walked slower as she recognized the car.

**['That car. It's the same one from before. Did those two work for his grandfather all along?']**

…

As soon as the car was leaving the property, Sasuke turned around and saw her looking on.

Sakura stopped and smiled awkwardly. "H-Hey." Sakura waved at him.

Sasuke nodded.

The sound of a motorcycle had them turning their attention towards the main gate.

Sasori drove through the entrance and stopped right in front of them.

Sasuke remained in his position while Sakura approached Sasori.

Sasori didn't bother to turn the engine off. He raised his eye shield. "What's _he_ doing here?", he asked her as soon as she got close.

"He… Uhm…" Sakura glanced at Sasuke and then turned back to Sasori. "That man we helped turned out to be his uncle."

"Really now?", Sasori chuckled. "Seriously?! What a coincidence!"

Sasuke wasn't pleased by Sasori's sardonic tone.

Sasori looked at Sasuke. "I hope your uncle gets well soon."

"Thanks." Sasuke spoke in a passive tone.

Sasori waved Sasuke's gratitude off. "Don't mention it."

Sakura let out a sigh. She then tied Sasori's blazer around her waist. "Let's just go. Okay?", she told Sasori.

Sasori pursed his lips together and seemed like he was considering something. "On second thought…" Sasori killed his engine, set the side stand in place and got off his motorcycle.

"Sasori?", Sakura was puzzled.

He then removed his helmet and walked towards Sasuke.

"S-Sasori."

"Actually…", said Sasori as he moved closer to Sasuke. "How about doing a favor for me in return? Oh wait. Did I just say 'me'? I meant her. Do _her_ a favor."

"Sasori!" Sakura ran after him.

"No. Listen." Sasori looked back at her. "You know, since you're always helping him and all."

"…"

Sasori turned back to Sasuke. "What do you say you call it quits?"

Sasuke just stared back at Sasori.

"Seeing as helping your 'uncle' is worth a lot more than helping you pay for _your rent_ , you wouldn't mind if she just stop now would you?"

Sakura pulled Sasori's arm. "This and that are two different things."

"I know but… you've done _so much_ for him these past months. You've done enough. Sasuke understands right?" Sasori turned to Sasuke once again.

"…"

"She doesn't really need to keep working, does she?"

"No!" Sakura retorted. "I can't stop yet. I promised him. I had a deal with Orochimaru-san."

Sasori looked at Sakura. "You can't? Or you won't?", he implored.

"I can't just quit this. And you know why?"

"Damn right I do." Sasori stares at Sasuke. "Hey! Say something will you!"

"Sasori. Stop.", Sakura tried to hush him.

"Screw this." Sasori got impatient with Sasuke's passive reaction. "How much do you owe?"

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at Sasori.

"How much more do you owe your landlord so I can pay for it?"

"Sasori!" Sakura tried to hold him in place but-

Sasori continued to ignore Sakura. He moved closer to Sasuke, taking out his wallet. "You know what; I'll cover your rent for the rest of the year too." He opened his wallet and started counting some bills.

"Sasori! Stop it.", Sakura took Sasori's wallet out of his hands.

"Look." Sasuke finally spoke. "I don't know what your problem is but-"

"You don't know?" Sasori interrupted. "Bullshit! I think you do."

Sasuke let out a sigh. "I think you need to go."

"No. Nah! I'm trying to settle things here. So, how much money do you need?" Sasori tried to get his wallet back from Sakura.

"I don't need your money."

"Sasori please just stop this." Sakura held Sasori's wallet behind her back.

"No _you_ STOP!", Sasori snarled at her.

"Don't yell at her." Sasuke told him calmly but the demand was obvious in his facial expression.

"Sasuke-kun don't!" Sakura slip away from Sasori and stepped in between the two males.

"No! Let him speak. What was that just now?"

"No. Please." Sakura turned around to face Sasori. "L-Let's just go."

"Only if he tells me what I want to hear."

"You don't get to decide for her.", said Sasuke.

"But you do?!"

"She decides for herself. She can stop anytime or… she can work if that's what she wants to do. For as long as she wants to."

"She'll work as long as you need her to. Tell her it's okay to quit and she'll stop coming to work. Tell her you don't need her anymore and she'll stop talking to you."

"No." Sasuke flat out told him.

"No?! Of course not! Of course you won't. You're just gonna let her work to pay _your_ debt."

"Do yourself a favor. Stop there and save yourself from the embarrassment later on."

"Why don't _you do her and yourself a favor_. Get your ass back home and ask your family to pay for your fucking bills so _my Sakura_ doesn't have to."

"Don't talk like you know me. You don't know a damn thing about me."

"I know you enjoy seeing her go through all of this _for you_? We know she wants to do something nice for you but… seriously, you're just gonna let her solve all your problems for you?!"

Sasuke smirked as he found what Sasori just said funny.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry. I'm loss. At some point we seemed to have started talking about you.", Sasuke implied.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"What was that?", Sasori sneered at Sasuke

"Unlike _you_ , I didn't ask her to do any of these things for me."

"But you let her! Because you want her to! RIGHT? You talk big but you're only using Sakura to pay for your debt."

"He's not using me!"

"Right! I'm sorry. Allow me to correct myself. He's not _using_ you. He's just _taking advantage of the fact that you're willing to help him_."

"Sasori Enough!"

"You would know right?" Sasuke taunted. "You know that better than anyone… being… the guy who relies on her _a lot_."

"Say that again?", Sasori dared him.

"No! Sasuke-kun! You stop right there." Sakura glared at him. She then turned to Sasori. "Let's just go okay? _PLEASE_!"

Sakura moved closer to Sasori. She held Sasori's wallet to his chest as she started pulling him away from Sasuke.

Sasori was being stubborn, standing firm on his spot. "No! I'm not going to be the first to walk away."

" _Seriously_?!", Sakura was annoyed.

"I'm not going to give in to this prick.", he maintained.

"Sasori! First of all! This isn't a fight you would win. And second… the stakes aren't equal for the both of you at all. You have nothing to gain from this and he doesn't have anything to lose."

Sasori snorted. "He doesn't have anything to lose?"

"He's not the one I'm about to walk away from in a few seconds if this foolishness doesn't stop here _right now_."

Sasori chuckled.

Sakura glared at him.

Sasori frowned when he realized that she was serious.

"Tck! Fine!" he threw his hands in the air "For you. _Just_ for you."

He kept glowering at Sasuke as he let Sakura pull him towards his motorcycle.

Sasuke also kept glaring back at Sasori even as he made a move to put on his helmet and got on his motorcycle.

Sasori kicked back the side stand, started his engine and then reached for the spare helmet – which was hanging on one of the handle bars.

Sakura rested her hand on Sasori's shoulder as she got on the motorcycle as well. She then had to slide forward closer to Sasori causing the hem of her dress to get drawn back a bit.

Sasori handed her the spare helmet after she adjusted herself on the seat.

As she was putting on the spare helmet, Sasori pulled the dress further down her thighs, all the while glancing at Sasuke.

Sasuke looked away. Sasori smirked.

Sakura took over the task of covering her exposed thighs.

"Ready?", Sasori asked her when he no longer felt her shifting behind him.

Sakura placed both her hands on Sasori's shoulder. "Yes."

She was looking at Sasuke the whole time Sasori made the turn.

Sasuke nodded at her as he stepped back.

By the time the motorcycle got to the road, Sakura saw Sasuke already making his way back into the hospital.

**.**

**.**

**.**

As soon as Sasori parked his motorcycle, Sakura quickly got down and removed her helmet.

"Here. Thanks for the ride as always. And… thanks for the dinner."

"Why are you mad at me?", Sasori questioned Sakura's cold demeanor, as he took the helmet from her.

"Why wouldn't I be? What was _that_ just now? What were you thinking back then? What is wrong with you?!"

"You want me to answer?" Sasori removed his helmet as well. "You're really gonna make me say it?"

"Let's just talk when you're no longer angry." Sakura turned around.

"I'm insecure!", Sasori exclaimed. "There I said it. Sasuke makes me insecure!"

"He makes everyone insecure!" Sakura turned back to him. "He made me feel insecure so many times I-"

"I'm jealous!" Sasori got off his bike.

"…"

"You can't tell me I'm being unreasonable here."

"We… talked about this. I thought I made myself clear?"

"And I thought I could take it! I thought I was over it! I thought I was fine with the idea of you falling for another guy because at the end of the day you chose me but… I'M NOT!"

"Well you didn't have to let him know that! You didn't have to clue him in on how he's affecting _us_. Now he knows that something is wrong with us. Now… _he knows_!"

"So what if he knows? If he's a person who can read the signs then he'll stay away from you."

"You didn't think he tried before? You didn't think _I tried_? I walked away from him before. And back then it could've caused you your thesis! He came to me with the solution to my problem. _Your problem_. And you know what he made sure to tell me back then? That he wasn't a threat to you! To us!"

"That didn't stop you from falling in love with him."

"That's... I... _Falling in love with him_ didn't stop me from choosing you!"

"No! It didn't! The fact that he was in a relationship _stopped you from choosing him_."

"W-Why did you come back Sasori? Why did you come back to me if you weren't ready?!"

"I- I don't want to lose you! I want to fight for you!"

"I don't want to lose you either."

"…"

"Stop being this… _jealous, insecure person_. This isn't you. This isn't like you at all!"

"Oh? Who am I then? _Who am I to you_?"

"…"

"I used to be the most important person to you!"

"Sasori."

"I used to be all that mattered to you! Everything you did was _for me_! Just to make _me_ happy!"

"Yeah." Sakura looked into Sasori's eyes. "That's the only reason why I'm good enough for you right?"

"What?" Sasori was taken aback. "No! That's not-"

"You're right." Sakura move away from him. "Making you happy, Making you proud of me, I made it my priority. I made _you_ my priority… above all else. I- I _picked you_!"

Sasori reached out for her hand. "Sak-"

Sakura pulled her hand away. "Being praised by you, Being complimented by you, It made me feel appreciated. And I thought for once, I didn't have to try so hard. That someone finally thought I was good enough. But I guess… You were only showering me with praises and compliments because you knew that doing so kept me devoted to you."

"I- Sakura-"

"Well you know what? It was never just about _you_! You're not the only one I care about!" Sakura walked away.

"Sakura. Wait!"

Sakura stopped and turned on her heel. "But you were right! Maybe I chose you because Sasuke-kun was already taken - Above any other reason! But there's also a part of me that chose you because I love you. And there's also a part of me that didn't want to lose what I have with you."

"…"

"The irony of that is... We have 'nothing'. You and me? There is no 'us'! And you were the one who decided that this is how it should be. Yes, my love isn't perfect. I was the one with vulnerable heart. But _I_ was also the only one who was trying. _I_ was the only one who was fighting. You were the one who didn't give 'us' a chance."

Sasori lowered his head.

He sighed heavily as he watched Sakura's back moved further away from him.

**.**

**.**

**.**

A/N: The CPR execution was just based on a guide that I read. I'm not an expert. I'm not knowledgeable with medical protocols and procedures either so something (if not the whole thing) may be wrong with the hospital scene. Please don't hate me.


	26. 6.3

**(6.3)**

**LOVERS OR LIARS**

**_"Okay."_ **

-Sunday morning-

Sakura was working on one of her summer homework while manning the Bandai of the bathhouse. She had ear speakers plugged into her ear as she listened to orchestral music from her mp3 player.

Her phone lights up and vibrates so she checks who the caller is. She picked up her phone and saw Sasori's information.

She then quickly put the phone down.

She tried to ignore it but she kept glancing at her phone as she debated within herself whether or not to answer it.

Sasori ends the call and she let out a sigh.

The phone vibrates again and she immediately picked it up only to put it down again. She covered her face with her hands but peeks through her fingers.

_("Aren't you going to pick it up?")_

She heard a customer speak despite the loud music playing in her ear.

"300 yen for an adult.", she told the customer without looking away from her phone.

From her peripheral view, she saw the customer's hand as he put his payment on the desk

The call diverts into voicemail and Sakura quickly removed her earphones.

_~Beep~_

" _H-Hi. I know you're upset and… I'm sorry… I really want to talk to you… I want to make things right and… I'll be waiting for you at the… pond near the hospital. I'll wait as long as I have to even if it takes all day so~ … I hope you come. I really want to see y-"_

_~Beep~_

She let out a sigh.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura – wearing a white t-shirt, black jumper shorts and a pair of summer sandals – stood above the stairs that led down to the pond. Her hair was in a ponytail.

She found Sasori sitting on the bench of the pond deck.

Sasori – wearing a black t-shirt, skinny jeans and a pair of sneakers – was hunched down with his elbows resting on his lap. His eyes were closed and his palms were pressed together by his nose and lips. He was also tapping his right foot.

Sakura secured her hairclips before inhaling a deep breath and descending the stairs.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasori straightened his back as soon as he heard Sakura's footsteps.

He whipped his head to look at her direction and let out a sigh of relief. "You came."

Sakura nodded.

Sasori stood up. "Sakura. I'm really sorry."

Sakura shook her head. "Y-You don't have to apologize. I get it. I hurt you. I-It's okay to be mad at me. It's okay if y-"

"No. I'm not mad at you." Sasori walked towards her. "I- I'm mad at myself though. I shouldn't have taken it out on him… at the worst possible time too. And… I shouldn't have yelled at you. I- I messed up."

"No. _I_ messed up."

"You didn't." Sasori reached for her hand. "I… took you for granted. I was so sure of myself. You… You tried. I know you tried. It's not like I didn't see it. I'm the one who didn't do enough. I'm the one who didn't make it official. I told you that I like you too but… it wasn't enough."

"Sasori..."

"Let me fix this. Give me a chance to make it right. That's all I'm asking."

"We're not… ready. We're not…"

"I know but… let's just… spend the day together. Just this day. And then… we'll take all the time we need to get over this."

"Sasori…"

"Please."

Sakura sighed. "Okay."

Sasori hugged her. "Thank you."

…

…

…

_~Trying to put my finger on this feeling_

_Can't remember what we came here for~_

Sakura and Sasori left the pond holding each other's hand.

_~Everything we try to say has hidden meaning_

_When you're the kind of tired sleep can't cure~_

Sakura glanced at their joined hands. Sasori looks at her and she immediately gives him a half smile.

_~Time moves slow, waiting for this to evolve_

_When hearts have nothing to hold, they let go_

_So what the hell are we waiting for?~_

Sasori drove Sakura around the town in his motorcycle.

_~Are we lovers or liars?_

_Are we burning up to keep this fire alive?_

_God loves a trier, but there's nothing left to try_

_Lying to ourselves, lying to each other_

_Hiding from the truth, lying under covers?_

_Are we lovers or liars?~_

He brought Sakura to a marionette exhibit where they met his grandmother. In front of her, the two of them put up a façade.

_~Holding onto reasons I should keep you_

_When all the things you loved are now my flaws~_

Sakura looks at the marionettes on display. She stares at a particular doll with braided hair. In the glass panel that housed the dolls, Sakura saw Sasori's reflection.

He was staring at her.

She turns to look at him.

_~We took apart our heads while we were sleeping._

_But will our dreaming be our down, our downfall?~_

Sasori tucked some of her fringes behind her ear.

They stare into each other's eyes only to awkwardly look away as Sasori drew his hand back.

~ _Are we lovers or liars?_

_Are we burning up to keep this fire alive?_

_God loves a trier, but there's nothing left to try_

_Lying to ourselves, lying to each other_

_Hiding from the truth, lying under covers?_

_Are we lovers or liars?~_

The more time they spend looking at the exhibits, the more they move away from each other. When one of them would look at the displays on the right side of a room, the other would go to the left. When one would move on to the next area, the other would slowly fall behind.

_~Should we lose everything we've got,_

_Or settle for something that we're not?_

_And all will be forgiven_

_If we go back, can we go back?~_

Eventually they went their separate ways to cover more ground.

_~Are we lovers or liars?_

_Are we burning up to keep this fire alive?_

_God loves a trier, but there's nothing left to try_

_Lying to ourselves, lying to each other_

_Hiding from the truth, lying under covers?_

_Are we lovers or liars?~_

They met by the exit as soon as they were done looking around.

They nodded at each other and walked towards the exit together.

_~Are we lovers or liars?_

_(LOVERS OR LIARS – Lauren Aquilina)_ ~

…

…

…

"Thank you for coming Sakura-chan.", Sasori's grandmother told them as she walked them out of the exhibit hall.

"It was a pleasure to be here Granny Chiyo.", Sakura responded. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Next time, I hope you two can bring Ino-chan along."

"W-We'll see granny.", said Sasori. "We'll try. Err… we have to go."

"Oh. Okay."

"Well. It was nice to see you again Granny Chiyo and Congratulations." Sakura hugged the old lady.

"Thank you. I hope to have lots more exhibits in the future.", Chiyo snortled.

"You will Granny." Sasori kissed his grandmother on the forehead.

"Maybe next time, I'll also have a reason to congratulate the two of you huh?", Chiyo gestured her eyebrows.

Sakura and Sasori fell silent.

"I'm kidding!" Chiyo guffawed.

Sakura and Sasori awkwardly laughed with her.

"I'm not rushing the two of you." Chiyo waved her hands as she turned her back on them. "You're both still young. Enjoy your youth! Enjoy life!", she yelled back at them as she went back inside the hall.

"So~ want to grab something to eat?", Sasori asked her as soon as they were alone.

" _Only_ … if you let me pay for it."

Sasori nodded. "That seems fair."

For the first time that day, they shared a casual but sincere smile at each other.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Sasori walked on. "I'm really hungry by the way so you'll probably regret offering to pay."

Sakura chuckled. "We'll see." She followed after him.

**.**

**.**

**.**

In the middle of their meal, Sasori's phone vibrates and he excused himself to answer his phone.

Sakura watched as Sasori's mood is lifted as he talks to the person on the other line.

She takes the opportunity to check her own phone and found that she had messages from Karin, Naruto and even Suigetsu.

_* You wouldn't believe who came over at the hospital today!* - Karin_

_*The surgery was a success by the way. Obito-san is now in recovery.* - Karin_

_*The TEME's roommate came to visit his uncle. He's hanging out with us right now. I don't like him.* - Naruto_

_*Oh. Have you heard about Sasuke's uncle? He's gonna be fine.* - Naruto_

_*I'm so pissed off. As if it's bad enough that Naruto's third wheeling.* - Karin_

_*Yo! I went to the hospital to see how Sasuke's holding up and met the annoying girl and her brother here.* - Suigetsu_

_*Sorry for messaging you out of nowhere by the way. Everyone's on their phone right now so I also took out mine. I didn't have anything in particular to tell anyone so I decided to bug you instead.* - Suigetsu_

_* I think he likes my sister. He keeps glancing at her.* - Naruto_

_*Her brother doesn't seem to like me. He keeps glaring at me.* - Suigetsu_

_*There's some sort of tension between Naruto and the freak right now.* - Karin_

_*So, This guy was the guy Sasuke hung out with during those times we avoided each other. It's official. I hate him!* - Naruto_

_*The noisy blonde claims to be his best friend. What does that make me then?!* - Suigetsu_

_*I just became the fourth wheel to their love triangle! WTF!* - Karin_

_*If only you were here then I'd at least have someone here who treats me nicely.* - Suigetsu_

_*I feel so left out. Wish you were here.* - Karin_

_*The mood here just got worst. I bet you could lighten it up. Wanna come over?* - Naruto_

_*Sasuke's aunt just sent us away.* - Suigetsu_

Sakura felt something off with the last message she read.

"Sakura?"

Sakura looked away from her phone screen.

"Yep?"

"Did something good happen?", wondered Sasori as he put his phone back in his pocket. "You look happy."

"I was just reading my messages and…they were sort of funny."

"From Ino?"

"No. From… my other friends."

"I'm glad to hear that you have more friends now."

"I met them through…"

"Sasuke?"

Sakura nodded.

"Who would have thought that the stuck up jerk you once complained to me about would get you more friends huh?"

Sakura chuckled.

"So, have you heard from him yet?"

"Hm?"

"How's his uncle doing?"

"Uhm. Karin said he's recovering."

"You didn't hear from Sasuke yourself? Good to know about his uncle by the way."

"He… wouldn't be the first to contact me. He'll answer if I ask but… He… especially avoided contacting me on Sundays because-"

"Oh." Sasori realized. "Now I feel even more horrible for confronting him like that."

"He probably didn't even give you much thought. He's like that. He either cares about something a whole lot or he just doesn't give a damn."

"That makes it even worst." Sasori cringed. "I made a complete fool of myself."

Sakura giggled. "I've been there."

Sakura's phone rang and she answered it.

"Hello. Karin."

" _Why didn't you tell me about Nurse Rin and Sasuke-kun?!"_

Sakura felt her heart sink. "I…"

She found herself staring at Sasori who suddenly look concerned after seeing her troubled expression.

" _Sakura, how could you do this to me? I was the last to know!"_

"I only found out about it recently… And- No. That's not an excuse at all. I'm sorry. I wanted them to be the one to tell you."

" _You could've at least clued me in!"_

"I know! I'm really sorry but… How are you? Do you want to meet me? Do you need me there oh but you probably don't want to see me right now."

" _Er… Why would I not want to see you? I'd love to meet you but… don't you spend Sundays with Sasori? But… I guess we could meet tonight. You and Sasori are going to go see the fireworks display right?"_

"Erm… Yes. A-Are you sure you're not mad?"

" _Why would I be mad? I'm embarrassed! I can't believe I shared my sensual fantasies about Sasuke-kun to my future mother-in-law!"_

"W-Wait…"

" _Oh well. I'll get over it."_

"What?"

" _You know, I never really hid my fangirl side from Nurse Rin so~ but I guess this means that nothing else about me can ever put her off. It's only my good characteristics that are left for her to discover, right? Although… I'm worried that in the remaining months of my informal apprenticeship, it will be very awkward between us."_

"I-I'm confused. F-Future mother-in-law?"

" _Well Obito-san- I mean 'Ojisan' is Sasuke-kun's guardian, which means when Nurse Rin marries him, he's going to become Sasuke-kun's mother figure, therefore, making her sort of my future mother-in-law."_

"N-Nurse Rin and Sasuke-kun's uncle? Getting married?"

Sakura saw Sasori do a double take upon hearing that.

They stared at each other.

" _Yes! They've been together since they were in college."_

…

**/"My grandfather doesn't understand. He thinks my objective is a waste of my time and his resources and if I insist on pursuing it, I'd have to do it without his financial help. He also threatened my uncle's position should he support me, so I moved out of the house."/**

**/"Your uncle; he's your legal guardian?"/**

**/"Aa. He can't afford to suffer a financial crisis especially now that he's planning to start a family of his own."/**

**/"So you didn't run away from home?"/**

**/"Hn. I can go back whenever, but it means I'd have to give up on my goal."/**

**/"And Kakashi-sensei was completely aware of your circumstance?"/**

**/"Aa."/**

…

**/"I think… I'm starting to see the whole picture now."/**

**/"Hm?"/**

**/"Nurse Rin. She's the reason why he can't live with his uncle anymore isn't she?"/**

**/"Y-Yes."/**

**/"It must be… really… awkward huh? B-Between the three of them?"/**

**/"Yes… Can you imagine how hard it is for me?"/**

…

**/"So, you live here with your boyfriend?"/**

**/"…he doesn't exactly live here. He does come over sometimes but most of the time he goes home to his house."**

**/"He has a house? How come he didn't ask you to move in and live with him instead?"/**

**/"It's technically not _his_ house. He had to move in there to live with… a relative."/**

…

**/"…It's one of his privileges for being the owner's nephew. Although he would have more privileges if he only made his position as an Uchiha heir, official."/**

**/"Oh… I wasn't aware this establishment was owned by the Uchihas."/**

**/"It used to be his parents' but… after the accident; his uncle took over, hence the name-change. Uchiha Obito is currently recognized as the owner of all their properties until Sasuke is ready take over."/**

…

**/"Would you like to buy a perfume?"/**

**/"Ah, no. Sorry. I just thought the scent was familiar."/**

**/"It's quite a popular brand for men but its only available here in Rinnegan."/**

…

**/"Nurse Rin's boyfriend uses the same cologne Sasuke-kun uses."/**

…

**['Oh Shit. _Fuck_.']**

…

**/"Why won't he just tell her that he already have a girlfriend?!... Suigetsu. Are you listening?"**

**/"Huh?! Oh. Yeah."/**

**/"Wh- What's wrong? You're acting like nothing happened?"/**

**/"I… Uhm. It's not my place to say… anything about it."/**

**/"Oh~ So, you can say Karin is 'bitchy' because you thought she sees Sasuke-kun like he's just some piece of meat but you have nothing to say about Sasuke-kun leading her on despite being already… involve with someone else?"/**

**/"No comment."/**

**/"Wh- … You're totally on his side!"/**

**/"Not really. Not on this one. But… like I said, it's not my place to speak."/**

…

**/"I believe we got ourselves caught up in a complicated situation… I don't know how much you already know. Sasuke-kun… He said he'll be the one to explain things to you but I don't think he fully understands the situation himself.**

**Oh how I wish I could do something about this situation but my current circumstance puts me in a position where… I have to act in favor of Sasuke-kun."/**

…

**_/*Sasuke's aunt just threw us out of the room*/_ **

…

**['She's his uncle's girlfriend.']**

" _Sakura! Hello! (I think the call ended.)"_

_~Beep~_

Sakura slowly put her phone down.

Her left hand planted on her face.

"Nurse Rin is Obito-san's girlfriend."

…

…

…

Sakura slammed her forehead on the table.

Sasori smirked. "I think I got an extra shovel."

Sakura look up at him.

"Right. Not funny." Sasori held his laughter in.

Sakura snorted.

Sasori broke into laughter

Sakura joined him.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Afternoon-

Sakura peeked into the living room. "Otousan~"

"Oh Sakura, you're back." Kizashi acknowledge her. "Mebuki! Sakura's here.", he yelled.

"Good!" Mebuki appeared from the kitchen. "Sakura. It's my turn to leave. Watch the bathhouse while I run some errands. Er… On that note, is there anything you n-"

Kizashi found it weird that his wife suddenly turned quiet. He glanced at Mebuki to find her looking surprise. He then looked at the direction Mebuki was staring at.

"Oh."

Kizashi found Sasori standing beside Sakura.

Sasori took a bow.

"Uhm~ Okaasan. Otousan. This is err… Sasori.", she introduced him.

"S-Sasori?!", Kizashi mimicked.

"Sasori. My mother and father."

"Good afternoon.", Sasori greeted them.

"W-Well… I'll be… damned." Mebuki found her voice again.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Mebuki had her arms crossed as she stared at Sasori.

Sasori sat on the couch across Mebuki.

Kizashi walked in with some refreshments. He laid the tray down on the coffee table then took his seat beside Mebuki.

…

Mebuki cleared her throat.

"Er… First of all…" Sasori started. "I'm sorry for not coming here to introduce myself sooner. I- I swear I have only good intentions for your daughter. W-Were not even… really dating yet. I had decided to ask her out properly only when she is in college so~"

"Yes. We are aware of that. Sakura made sure to tell us.", said Kizashi.

"What's your plan for when the time comes then?" Mebuki spoke. "Are you two going to live together once she moves to Tokyo?"

"I… erm… No. She and Ino are going to live together I think.", Sasori answered.

"But isn't she only planning to go to Tokyo so she could be with you?!"

"That's one of the reasons… _originally_. Ma'am. Sir. Ino and I may have influenced her but believe me when I tell you that your daughter is actually really very passionate about becoming a doctor."

Mebuki scoffed, "All I know is, she wants to be a doctor so she could impress _you_."

"Are you aware that Sakura once save a young boy who drowned in the pond near Uzumaki General Hospital?"

"What? N-No! When did this happen?", Mebuki was shocked.

"When she was eight. He resuscitated the boy by performing a mouth to mouth."

"My Gosh. My daughter did something like that at such a young age?", said Kizashi.

"She did. At such a young age, she already understood how important it is to have the ability to not let life slip out of your fingers.", said Sasori.

"I never knew something like that happened. How could she have hidden that from us up until now?" Mebuki was astounded. "All this time I thought that she just… didn't want to be left behind by you and Ino. I thought that… it was all… for you."

"I wish it was ma'am." Sasori chuckled. "It's true that… the past couple of years Sakura has supported me but the only reason I rely on her so much is because I know no one else who is as _interested and willing_ as she is to dive into medical topics. I regret to say that at some point, I seemed to have taken advantage of that but… while Sakura did consider being praised and appreciated by me to be her pleasure, I'm sure that the both of you know very well that I am not the only one she had been aiming to impress all her life."

"…"

Guilt and sorrow transformed Mebuki's face.

Noticing her mood, Kizashi held her wife.

"I've seen her potential with my own eyes.", Sasori continued. "She recently saved another man from a sudden cardiac arrest."

"She did what?"~

"It happened just Last night actually."

Mebuki and Kizashi looked at Sasori with shock and curiosity.

"I was stunned myself. I mean, it was the first time I experienced someone collapsing right under my nose. I thought I'd do better but I panicked and I froze." Sasori rubbed the back of his head. "Your daughter however... Being the guy that admires her the most, I thought she was already wonderful but… back then, I saw a reliable, capable and beautiful woman."

Mebuki let out a sigh. She then stood up.

"Err… dear?"

"I've left the bathhouse unattended for a very long time now. I think I'll head back so~ If you'll excuse me."

Mebuki left Sasori and Kizashi alone.

"Uhm, D-did I say something wrong?", Sasori worried.

"No.", Kizashi assured him with a smile. "Thank you for sharing that with us. We felt like we had just gotten to know our daughter a little more. We… haven't been the most supportive parents- well, you probably already knew that. I'm really happy to learn that _in spite of us_ , Sakura turned out to be a good person. Hearing a man speak highly of my daughter with such passion, truly… makes me proud."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura smiled to herself as she ties up her right braid.

She stood up from the landing of the stairs where she had been sitting on while listening carefully to the conversation between Sasori and her parents. She then made a move to join the two males in the living room.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"I'm ready~!", Sakura shows off her green yukata with white cherry blossom silhouette prints and pink obi to Sasori and her father.

"Wow. You look beautiful.", Kizashi commented.

"Your… hair.", Sasori noted her braids.

"Today is Sasori day after all.", Sakura grinned

Sasori smiled back at her as he stood up.

"I supposed you two are heading out." Kizashi also shot himself off the couch.

"Yes." Sakura turned to his father. "I'll run Okaasan's errand for her while I'm out."

"Nah. I'll go." Kizashi waved her offer off. "You two have fun. Just don't stay out too late."

"Are you sure?"

"No. So run along before I changed my mind.", Kizashi clowned.

"Uh-Oh~!", Sakura played along. "Come on Sasori. Hurry!"

Sakura started pulling on Sasori.

"O-Okay."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura stood outside, holding the door open for Sasori as she waited for him to finish putting on his shoes.

Sasori stood up and walked towards the door.

She stepped away from the door to let him pass.

Sasori stopped by the door and turned around. He looked at Kizashi who just stood at the end of the hallway, smiling at him. He then turned to Mebuki who was standing behind the Noren.

Sasori smiled and took one last bow before walking out of the door.

He walked pass Sakura who smiled weakly at her parents as well before closing the door behind them.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	27. 6.4

**AN: As you visualize the following sequence in your head, eliminate all sound effects. Imagine a silent film – wherein the dialogues are inserted through title cards – except instead of black and white you can just picture it in a faded color scheme. Do this, until you read the lyrics of the song. You'll know when you're there.**

-Sunday night-

Sakura and Sasori wandered along the stalls.

…

In a yakitori stand, they met Choji who was clad in a green yukata with butterfly prints. He was with a tanned girl wearing a black and grey diamond patterned yukata with a white obi. To Sakura's surprise, Choji introduced the girl as his girlfriend.

…

They saw Neji and Tenten – who aimed for a couple look with their matching blue and white yukatas – compete to see who is better at catching a goldfish while Hinata and her younger sister cheered them on. They were wearing a lavender yukata with dianthus prints and an orange yukata with goldfish prints respectively with matching yellow obis.

…

They found Lee – donning a green happi – manning a stall that sells plastic masks. His only customer was a tall boy – in his casual clothes – who wore his sun glasses over a bug inspired mask.

…

They approached a shooting gallery to say hi to Ino who happened to be with Shikamaru, Temari and Temari's younger brother

Ino wore a blue aster patterned yukata with a violet obi. Temari was wearing a black yukata embellished with ame patterns and a red obi while her younger brother – a boy with red hair and the same teal eyes as her – donned a maroon yukata. Shikamaru wore an oversized plain white t-shirt, beige short pants and a pair of summer sandals.

The two girls were relying on Shikamaru to win them a prize. Ino wanted the pig plushie made with an intricate floral fabric while Temari wanted the kamaitachi doll.

To their dismay Shikamaru could only win the very common tanuki doll.

Both girls weren't pleased with it so they ended up giving it to Temari's younger brother who immediately grew attached to it.

…

…

…

Ino walked towards Sakura as Temari was demanding shikamaru to try again.

**{"Hey."}**

Sakura gave Ino a weak smile.

**{"Hey."}**

**{"So~ How's it going?"}**

Sakura lowered her head unable to say anything.

**{"I see."}**

Ino completely understood her silence.

**{"Well… Just remember that no matter what, I'll still be here for the both of you."}**

…

A few moments later, Sasori walked passed Temari's younger brother who now held two tanuki dolls.

Temari decided to take matters into her own hand.

…

Sasori approached Sakura and Ino holding two plushies himself.

 **{"Oh my gosh! You did it!"** }

Ino was very grateful to Sasori for winning her the pig.

**{"Thank you so much! You're the best!"}**

**{"No problem."** }

Sasori smiled at her then looked at Sakura.

**{"Here."}**

**{"Thank you."}**

Sakura accepted the other doll.

**{"Er… why a snail?"}**

-wondered Ino.

**{"Actually it's a slug."}**

-Sasori corrected her.

**{"Okay. But… Why a slug?"}**

**{"The guy just gave it to me because I… _snailed_ the shot!"}**

-Sasori quipped

**_{"Ba-dum-tss~"}_ **

Sakura beat an invisible drum.

Ino cringed at the deadpan humor.

…

After about a second the three of them broke into laughter.

…

**{"Ino!"}**

Temari called, looking a bit shamefaced.

**{"I'm going to the yakisoba stall. You wanna come?"}**

**{"Yep! Wait for me!"}**

Ino yelled back.

**{"I'll see you guys around."}**

-Ino waved goodbye at Sakura and Sasori before running off with Temari.

Sakura and Sasori then left Shikamaru and Temari's younger brother – who now held three tanuki dolls – to continue their leisurely stroll.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Sasori came across Naruto, Karin and Sasuke at a takoyaki stand.

**{"Sakura-chan?!"}**

Naruto – who wore a dark grey yukata with and an orange obi – acknowledged her first.

**{"Oh. You're with… 'him'."}**

**{"Naruto."}**

-Sakura turned to him.

**{" _Him_?"}**

-Sasori raised an eyebrow.

**{"And… Karin and Sasuke-kun are here too."}**

-Sakura noted.

**{"Told you we'd meet."}**

Karin grinned at her. She was clad in a violet yukata with peony patterns and a purple obi.

**{"Orochimaru-san let us take the day off. Well technically, it was so Sasuke has more time to care for his uncle at the hospital but Nurse Rin insisted we might as well take this chance to see the fireworks. She said, she also wanted to spend more time with Uncle, right Sasuke-kun?"}**

Sasuke gave a weak nod. He was wearing a navy blue hooded vest over his white t-shirt, black capri pants and a pair of slip on sandals.

**{"I… see."}**

Sakura gave him a weak smile.

**{"I heard your uncle is in recovery."}**

**{"Aa."}**

**{"That's good to hear."}**

**{"Aa."}**

Sasuke then looked at Sasori.

**{"Hey."}**

Sasori greeted him nonchalantly.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him then glanced at Sakura.

Sakura put on a half-smile and shrugged.

**{"So~"}**

Naruto joined them holding a plate of steaming takoyaki.

**{"Did you come to buy some Takoyaki?"}**

**{"Y-Yes."}**

-answered Sakura as Sasori approached the takoyaki vendor.

**{"How come you didn't get us some?"}**

-Karin questioned Naruto.

**{"Your date is right there. Ask him to buy it for you."}**

-Naruto motioned for Sasuke.

Karin turned to Sasuke and pleaded.

**{"Sasuke-kun. Can you you buy me some takoyaki?"}**

Sasuke nodded then moved closer to the stand.

Naruto winked at Karin who smiled at him in gratitude.

Sakura look on at Sasuke and Sasori who found themselves in an awkward situation as they stood so close to each other while waiting for their turn to get served.

Sakura let out a sigh.

Naruto moved closer to her.

**{"When did you get here?"}**

**{"We've been here a while. I saw everyone by the way."}**

**{"Really? I guess I'll go meet them too as soon as I make my escape from Sasuke. Gotta give _these two_ some er… privacy, _if you know what I mean_."}**

-Naruto grinned.

**{"Oh. I… saw Hinata as well by the way."}**

-Sakura quickly changed the subject.

**{"Hinata-chan?"}**

**{"Yeah! She looked stunning in her yukata. You have to go see her in it!"}**

**{"Er… okay. Y-You look great in your yukata as well."}**

**{"Thanks."}**

**{"I gotta say… I missed the braids. Oh, I'm not saying I prefer the braids. The ponytail and even just… l-letting your hair down suits you too. You look good n-no matter how you wear your hair. You look good no matter what… to me… Sakura-chan."}**

Naruto was acting timidly.

**{"T-Thank you."}**

**{"Yeah. Well. I-I gotta go."}**

-Naruto motioned for Sasori who was coming towards them.

**{"Here you go."}**

Sasori held the takoyaki towards her.

**{"Thank you."}**

Sakura picked up one of the toothpicks and helped herself to one takoyaki.

As Sakura was blowing on the takoyaki, Sasori glanced at Naruto who had joined Sasuke and Karin once again.

**{"Who's that guy by the way?"}**

**{"Oh."}**

Sakura had just put the steaming takoyaki inside her mouth. She fanned her mouth with the same hand holding the toothpick as she chewed.

**{"T-That's…"}**

Sasori looked back at Sakura and chuckled.

**{"Finish that first."}**

**{"Uhm…"}**

Sakura swallowed.

**{"That's Naruto. Sasuke-kun's bestfriend and Karin's cousin and adopted brother."}**

**{"Is that so?"}**

Sasori looked back at the three.

Karin was being demanding and wanted Sasuke to feed her. Naruto was obviously supporting Karin and insisting Sasuke to indulge her. Sasuke eventually got himself ready to feed Karin only to put the takoyaki inside Naruto's mouth.

Karin acted like Naruto stole his thunder while Naruto seemed to be pointing out the fact that his tongue was burned. Sasuke on the other hand was smirking.

**{"That certainly puts him in a tight spot."}**

-Sasori mumbled.

**{"Hm?"}**

Sakura pardoned.

**{"N-Nothing."}**

Sasori turned back to her.

**{"Here have some more."}**

**{"Okay."}**

Just as Sakura was about to take her second takoyaki, she glanced upon Sasuke who eventually gave in to Karin's request.

Sakura held the slug plushie tighter to her chest – her shift in mood did not go unnoticed by Sasori. She continued eating as she watched Karin chew her food like she just tasted heaven in her mouth.

Naruto said something to Sasuke then suddenly looked at her.

**{"Sakura-chan!"}**

Sasuke glanced at her as well.

Their eyes met and she quickly looked back at Naruto.

**{"We're headed to the riverside now. Wanna go together?"}**

-asked Naruto.

**{"Erm~"}**

**{"It's fine. Let's go with them."}**

-Sasori told her.

**{"Okay."}**

Sakura nodded.

**{"We're coming!"}**

-she yelled back at Naruto.

Sakura and Sasori followed behind the three as they made their way through the crowd.

The whole time, Sasori was observing Sakura as she was observing Karin and Sasuke's proximity.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Down by the riverside, their group met Ino's group with the addition of Choji and his girlfriend.

Ino called them over and they accepted her offer to share their spot.

Choji and her girlfriend occupied one blanket while Shikamaru _(because he's lazy)_ , Temari's brother _(due to his sister insisting)_ and the rest of the girls apart from Karin shared another blanket.

Shikamaru was lying down as if he was ready to take a nap. Beside him, sat Temari and her younger brother who still held the three tanukis. To their right, were Ino and Sakura holding their respective plushies.

Naruto was more than willing to take Karin's place beside Sakura as the girl was pretty much contented to stand beside Sasuke while holding onto his arm.

They stood behind Naruto and somewhere close to them stood Sasori.

Tenten suddenly came up to Naruto with the Hyuugas behind her.

After a series of greetings, Hinata and her younger sister replaced Naruto on the blanket.

Naruto was now standing near Karin and Sasuke while Neji and Tenten settled to stand behind Shikamaru and Temari.

Sasori moved further at the back.

A few moments later, the fireworks show began.

…

…

…

About a minute into the show, Sakura glanced back at Sasori who took the moment to look away from the fireworks to smile at her.

She smiled back.

A huge and bright explosion made her look at the sky again.

…

When Sakura looked back again, Sasori was gone.

**{"Sasori?"}**

Ino glanced at Sakura and looked back.

**{"Excuse me for a moment."}**

Sakura told Ino then stood up.

Everyone's attention turned to Sakura for a brief moment as she stood up but they eventually went back to watching the fireworks.

Sakura quickly put on her Zori and passed between Naruto and Karin.

**{"Sakura-chan?"}**

**{"Sakura?"}**

Sasuke also looked back at her as she hurriedly made her way through the people gathered in the area.

…

…

…

_You promised me, we'd always be fine_

_Guess you lied_

_Cause now the whole world can hear our silence_

_And here we are, where we said we'd never be_

_You'd do anything for me_

_But how can you lift me up when you're on your knees?_

_It's not that I don't want you_

_It's just I don't know how_

_To love you like I used to_

_So intense and so profound_

_And if I could change my feelings_

_I would forfeit all my bones_

_Cause your love is worth a fortune_

_But my heart's already broke_

_You could never be second best_

_But second chances are hard to find_

_When you damaged everything I had left_

_And here we are, where we said we'd never go_

_And I know I've been so cold_

_But pushing you away is how I cope_

_It's not that I don't want you_

_It's just I don't know how_

_To love you like I used to_

_So intense and so profound_

_And if I could change my feelings_

_I would forfeit all my bones_

_Cause your love is worth a fortune_

_But my heart's already broke_

_And if beggars can't be choosers,_

_Then I'm begging you to choose_

_And if lovers can't be losers,_

_Why do I always end up (bruised?)_

_It's not that I don't want you_

_It's just I don't know how_

_To love you like I used to_

_So intense and so profound_

_And if I could change my feelings_

_I would forfeit all my bones_

_Cause your love is worth a fortune_

_Yeah your love is worth a fortune_

_Yeah and those hardest to love need it most_

_But my heart's already broke_

_(BROKE – Lauren Aquilina)_

…

**(6.4)**

**BROKE**

**_\- Silence -_ **

"SASORI!"

Sasori turned around and saw Sakura running pass people to get to him.

He let out a sigh then smiled at her. "You came looking for me.", he told her as she was getting closer.

"Of course I looked for you!"Sakura stop to catch her breath as soon as she was in front of him."Don't go disappearing just like that!"

"That proves it. I really am a bad person." Sasori had his palm on his face. "It made me happy to know that my leaving had an effect on you."

Sakura moved closer to smack him on the chest. "Don't say something so sad!"

"Then allow me to say something else." Sasori held her hand to keep it planted on his chest.

Sakura nodded as she looked at him with sad eyes.

"But first…" Sasori let go of her hand. "…Close your eyes."

"Why.", questioned Sakura.

"Just do as I tell you."

Sakura scowled at him.

Sasori raised his hands. "I won't do anything funny I swear."

Sakura let out a sigh of defeat. She stood straight and closed her eyes.

…

She flinched as soon as she felt Sasori hugged her.

"No peeking.", murmured Sasori

Sakura stilled.

Sasori leaned and whispered in her ear.

…

…

…

Tears formed in Sakura's eyes.

…

…

…

Sasori drew himself back and gently brushed his thumbs over her eyes. "Don't open them yet."

He then wiped her tears and said; "Now I need you to count to twenty before you open them okay?"

Sakura nodded.

Sasori then started smoothing down her hair.

…

…

…

Sakura sighed heavily before opening her eyes.

She looked around but Sasori was nowhere in sight.

She then looked down at her hair that Sasori had undone.

The sound of the fireworks drew her attention and she looked up at the sky.

She let her ears be filled by the loud noises surrounding her and her eyes be captivated by the explosion of bright colors.

…

**/"We've known each other since we were kids and… For as long as I can remember, I kept praising you and told you all the words that I knew you wanted to hear the most.**

**That's why… I was really confident that when it comes to you, I would win. _No matter what._**

**All I wanted was for you to see just how smart and beautiful you truly are. I wanted you to appreciate the good things about you that I love. And… that was really all I ever did. I focused on all the good things about you.**

**You've changed. _In a good way_. I saw it and I felt it. It's like… Little by little, you started to like even the parts of yourself that you use to hate. You've become braver and stronger and… _kinder_. You've become… far more beautiful than ever.**

**And…**

**It all happened in just the short while since he became a part of your life.**

**How can I possibly beat that?!"/**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_Noir_ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**{"I will always be grateful to you for loving me. But… you can never love me the way I want you to… because… you were never in-love with me."}**

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**{"The only person you ever truly fell in love with… was Sasuke."}**

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_TBC_ **


	28. 7.1

Note: I know this story has way too many flashbacks within the flashback. I'm sorry but they're really necessary _(or at least I think so.)_

As you may have noticed, (6.4) did not end with a scene from the present.

Basically, we are still in the flashback.

 ** _*Giving you a heads up.*_** There will be a _"never before recalled" flashback_ within this flashback.

Warning: Flashback- _ception ***But then again… it has always been.***_

**(7.1)**

**XXXXX**

" ** _If he hadn't been the boy that Ino like back then…"_**

**_Noir_ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

"SASORI!"

Sasori turned around and saw Sakura running pass people to get to him.

He let out a sigh then smiled at her. "You came looking for me.", he told her as she was getting closer.

"Of course I looked for you!"Sakura stop to catch her breath as soon as she was in front of him."Don't go disappearing just like that!"

"That proves it. I really am a bad person." Sasori had his palm on his face. "It made me happy to know that my leaving had an effect on you."

Sakura moved closer to smack him on the chest. "Don't say something so sad!"

"Then allow me to say something else." Sasori held her hand to keep it planted on his chest.

Sakura nodded as she looked at him with sad eyes.

"But first…" Sasori let go of her hand. "…Close your eyes."

"Why.", questioned Sakura.

"Just do as I tell you."

Sakura scowled at him.

Sasori raised his hands. "I won't do anything funny I swear."

Sakura let out a sigh of defeat. She stood straight and closed her eyes.

…

She flinched as soon as she felt Sasori hugged her.

"No peeking.", murmured Sasori

Sakura stilled.

Sasori leaned and whispered in her ear.

"We've known each other since we were kids and… For as long as I can remember, I kept praising you and told you all the words that I knew you wanted to hear the most. That's why… I was really confident that when it comes to you, I would win. _No matter what._

All I wanted was for you to see just how smart and beautiful you truly are. I wanted you to appreciate the good things about you that I love. And… that was really all I ever did. I focused on all the good things about you.

You've changed. _In a good way_. I saw it and I felt it. It's like… Little by little, you started to like even the parts of yourself that you use to hate. You've become braver and stronger and… _kinder_. You've become… far more beautiful than ever.

And… It all happened in just the short while since he became a part of your life. How can I possibly beat that?!"

Tears formed in Sakura's eyes.

"I will always be grateful to you for loving me. But… you can never love me the way I want you to… because… you were never in-love with me.", continued Sasori. "The only person you ever truly fell in love with… was Sasuke."

Sasori drew himself back and gently brushed his thumbs over her eyes. "Don't open them yet."

He then wiped her tears and said; "Now I need you to count to twenty before you open them okay?"

Sakura nodded.

Sasori then started smoothing down her hair.

…

…

…

Sakura sighed heavily before opening her eyes.

She looked around but Sasori was nowhere in sight.

She then looked down at her hair that Sasori had undone.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura sighed.

"Wow Sakura. I swear, only when you're on mopping duty, does the floor sparkle like this."

Sakura looked away from the floor that she had been staring at and turned towards Karin.

Karin was getting the chairs off from the table on the side of the room that Sakura had already finished mopping.

"If you keep this up, Orochimaru-san is going to permanently assign the task of mopping the floor to you.", said Kin Tsuchi as she wiped the top of the tables that Karin has cleared.

"Ten minutes everyone before we turn the sign.", announced Tayuya as she walked in. She then looked at the floor. "Sakura, you must really like mopping huh?"

Sakura started scratching her cheek with her index finger. "I actually scrub floors a lot. My mom runs a bath house and one of my everyday chores is cleaning the woman's bath."

"Oh."

Tayuya returned to the kitchen as the three other girls - who were all wearing a white blouse shirt, a grey three pocket waist apron over a black mini skirt, and a pair of black clogs – returned to each of their own task.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura approached the door to turn the sign.

Just as she unlocked the door, she noticed Naruto smiling at her as he was looking through the glass panels. He was wearing a black t-shirt, orange skinny jeans and a pair of black sneakers.

"Naruto?"

"Hey. Sakura-chan! How have you been? Haven't seen you since the fireworks show? That was about… two weeks ago.", said Naruto as he opened the door. "What happened by the way? You and erm… Sasori left early."

"Y-Yeah. W-Welcome to Sound Country~!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not really here as a customer today though. I've got no money but Sasuke said I could hang around here since your boss is away on a business trip."

"Oh."

"I like the new uniform!", Naruto added. "That one looks good on you too."

"Oh. T-Thanks."

"But, what happened to the old one?"

"We have multiple sets of uniform. We change into another set every two weeks.", explained Sasuke as he suddenly appeared behind Naruto. "Now move Dobe. You're blocking the entrance."

Sakura's face turned red as he walked in.

"What are you getting uptight for, Teme? Weren't you gonna use the service door like all the other employees?"

"You told me that you saw someone turning the sign. You had me follow you."

"Not really. I just pointed out that she was opening the door."

She could only focused on Sasuke.

**/"I will always be grateful to you for loving me. But… you can never love me the way I want you to… because… you were never in-love with me.**

**The only person you ever truly fell in love with… was Sasuke."/**

"I… Uhm…", she mumbled. "I- I'm gonna head back now."

Sakura quickly made a move to leave them.

On her way to the break room, she could still hear Naruto talking to Sasuke;

_("That felt oddly familiar. She seemed a little distant. Wasn't that how she acted towards me back in freshman year? Right before she started giving me the cold shoulder and then she just stopped hiding her dislike of me.")_

Sakura halted as she suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

_("She can't possibly be starting to… dislike me again? Is she?")_

Sakura considered going back to clear things up.

_("Hey, Teme. Answer me.")_

She was about to go back but then she heard footsteps approaching. She then realized that Sasuke was also heading to the break room to change into his uniform.

Sakura started looking around for an escape. She moved towards the nearest door, opened the door, walked in and closed the door behind her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_Noir_ **

…

**_.._ **

**_._ **

Sometime during their freshman year;

Sakura and Ino walked out of the school building and along the covered path towards the other building.

"Hurry up, Forehead!", Ino quickened her pace. "We've kept Sasori waiting for almost half an hour."

"Yeah." Sakura matched Ino's pace. "Sorry about that."

Ino suddenly slowed down.

"Ino?", Sakura wondered. "What happened to 'hurry up'?"

Ino started tugging on the hem of Sakura's vest.

"That's him!", Ino whispered. She was blushing heavily as she was looking at a boy by the vending machine. . "The boy from my class that I've been telling you about."

"The one you have a crush on?", Sakura inquired as she glanced at none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

...

Sasuke noticed their presence because he turned to glance at the two girls moving along the covered walk.

...

"Don't let him catch you looking at him!", Ino instructed as she walked along Sakura stiffly.

Sakura looked onward to avoid eye contact.

Sasuke went back to picking out his drink and Ino held Sakura's hand and pulled her as she rushed towards the nearest pillar. Ino hid behind the pillar, holding Sakura close and out of Sasuke's view as well.

The two girls stood very close to one another, facing each other.

"He didn't catch you looking at him, did he?", asked Ino.

"I… I'm not sure.", answered Sakura.

"There you are!"

The two girls turned towards Sasori who saw them from the other building and is now headed towards them.

"I went out of my way to eat lunch with the two of you because you've been pestering me about spending time and hanging out like we used to and you stood me up to- to… do _this_.", said sasori as he approached them. "Wait. What are the two of you doing?"

"We were just-" Sakura stepped away from Ino and peeked at Sasuke again. "Ino, he's not looking."

...

Sasuke stepped away from the vending machine, with his drink in hand.

...

Ino sighed in relief. She then started pulling both Sasori and Sakura away. "Come on! Let's just get out of here."

"Wh-What's wrong? What's going on here?!" Sasori was confused.

"That was Ino's crush.", shared Sakura.

"Seriously?" Sasori looked back at Sasuke.

Sasuke was already walking towards the bench near the parking lot.

"I'm actually surprised.", commented Sasori. "I thought you were into Nara."

"Shikamaru?!", Ino retorted. "Ew! Gross! He's my childhood friend!"

"What's wrong with liking your childhood friend?!", Sasori argued.

Sakura blushed.

"Oh-ho!~", Ino grinned. "I get it now."

"Shut it!", Sasori warned her.

_("Teme!")_

Sakura, without stopping, quickly turned to look towards the bench where Sasuke was now seated.

She saw Naruto approaching Sasuke.

**['No way. Those two can't possibly be…']**

_("You're already eating. Why didn't you wait for me?!")_

**['perhaps it's just a coincidence.']**

"Sakura?" Sasori called her attention. "Something the matter?"

"Huh?!" Sakura turned to Sasori.

"You were looking at those two so intently.", Sasori noted.

"Oh. It's… him."

...

_("And here I was feeling guilty and worrying about you starving as you wait for me.")_

Sakura motioned for the blonde boy. "Naruto! He's in my class. He's the reason why Ino had to wait outside my classroom for twenty minutes. Iruka-sensei was mad at him for disrupting his lecture. And since most of the students found his talking back to our teacher hilarious, our teacher felt the need to keep the entire class inside the classroom even after the bell as punishment. He then gave us a pop quiz."

"I see." Sasori gave the two boys one last look before leading the girls into the building. "Anyway, let's hurry before the cafeteria runs out of food."

**.**

**.**

**.**

One afternoon;

Sakura was sitting on the bench near the school gate, going over her lessons.

Naruto was on his way to the other bench when he noticed Sakura. "S-Sakura-chan?", he called to her.

Sakura looked away from her book, raising her eyebrows.

**['Oh. This guy. What does he want from me?']**

"Naruto… right?"

"Yep. You're not heading home yet?", wondered Naruto as he reluctantly approached her.

"Nope. I'm waiting for someone."

"One of your friends?", he inquired.

"Yes."

"Uh…"

"I- Yamanaka from class B."

"Oh. The girl.", Naruto smiled.

Sakura wrinkled her forehead.

"T-The blonde girl you're always with outside the class.", continued Naruto.

"Yes." Sakura answered matter of fact.

"Let me guess. She is the class rep and she's attending a meeting right now?"

Sakura nodded uninterestingly.

"I thought so. She seemed the type.", Naruto noted.

…

For a moment Naruto debated whether to return to the other bench or stay. He eventually chose the latter. "I'm actually waiting on someone as well." Naruto shared. "Do you mind if I wait for them with you?"

**['I do. Actually.']**

"No. Not at all."

"Okay.", Naruto grinned.

…

"Err…" Naruto considered for a moment. "Can I… sit here with you… while we wait?"

"Oh!"

**['Seriously?!']**

Sakura moved her bag and scooted further to the left to give Naruto space. "S-sure."

"Thanks." Naruto took his seat beside her.

Sakura went back to reading her book.

"So~", Naruto started.

**['Of course, he wants to talk.']**

"Is it just me or… is that math homework gonna be painful to deal with later tonight?"

"Uhm…" Sakura looked away from her book again. "I actually finished it during the break."

"Seriously?!" Naruto was amazed. "All fifteen problems?"

"Yep."

"Whoah! You're just as smart as Shikamaru."

"Do you really think so?", Sakura suddenly seemed more interested to listen to Naruto.

"Y-Yeah! Sure! Probably even smarter!" Naruto kept the compliment going.

"I… could teach you if you're having any problems with the lessons?", she offered.

"Really?!" Naruto beamed.

"Yeah!"

"Wow! Kinder too! Shikamaru would be too lazy to teach me. He'd just let me copy it."

"So you're waiting for Shikamaru. He's in the meeting too right?"

"Oh, no. I'm actually waiting for Sasuke. He's been called by one of the teachers. The literature club advisor, I think."

"Sasuke? Who's that?"

"You don't know him? Sasuke? Uchiha Sasuke?! You- Err…" Naruto studied Sakura's facial expression carefully. "You seriously never heard of him?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. Sorry. Is he supposed to be well known?"

"He- He's very popular among the girls. Tall. Dark hair. Beautiful eyes. Really handsome… _According to the girls_!" Naruto cleared his throat.

Sakura then remembered the boy Ino was crushing on. The same guy he saw Naruto talking to some time ago.

**['That person?']**

"He's in your friend's class.", Naruto continued.

"Oh. _Him_."

"So you have heard of him? And what do you know? … Here he comes."

Sakura turned to look at the direction Naruto gestured at.

"Teme!", Naruto yelled.

Sasuke had just walked out of the main entrance of the school building.

Sakura suddenly felt uneasy when he made his way towards them.

"So? What was that all about?", Naruto stood up and questioned Sasuke as soon as he was within earshot. "Did you get in trouble?"

Sasuke shook his head.

Sakura kept her eyes away from Sasuke as she started playing with her braid.

…

"Right!" Naruto realized. "Sakura-chan."

"Yes!", Sakura quickly turned to Naruto.

"Let me introduce my best friend. Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura had no choice but to stand up and look at him.

Sasuke just stared at her.

She felt her heart skip a beat.

"And Sasuke." Naruto turned to him with a smile. "This is _my_ classmate, Haruno Sakura-chan."

"N-Nice to meet you.", she told him.

Sasuke looked at Naruto's facial expression once over before looking at Sakura. He nodded at her.

Inspite of her bashfulness, Sakura manage to smile.

An image of Ino blushing suddenly flashed through her mind and then the smile on her face faded.

"I… I have to go!", she suddenly blurted out.

"Your friend's not here yet though.", said Naruto.

"Y-Yeah but… I just remembered something that I had to do." Sakura gathered her things and made a move to leave.

She sidestepped Sasuke and walked towards the school building.

"Oh, Okay. We'll see you around… I guess?", Naruto yelled to her.

Sakura carefully look back and reluctantly nodded before walking away faster.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Once inside, Sakura ran towards the shoe locker to hide from their sight.

**['No. No. No. No! NO!'**

Sakura's free hand went over her mouth. She then started feeling her cheeks go warm.

**_Oh no_. Me too? Seriously?!**

Her hand moved over to her eyes.

**I can't possibly be interested in the same guy.**

Sakura pulled her hand away from her face and started moving it like a fan.

**It's probably because that guy was really attractive. Yeah that's it! Naruto did say he was popular with the girls. Uchiha Sasuke was it now. He was undeniably handsome so it's only natural that I-']**

"Forehead!"

Sakura was startled.

"S-Sorry!" Ino was snickering despite her apology. "I thought you'd wait for me by the gate. Why are you here? And… What were you doing just now looking all flushed?"

"I uhm…"

"Is Sasori somewhere nearby?" Ino started looking around. "You know I'm starting to think he likes you too."

Sakura blushed. "Oh, Stop it!"

Ino giggled.

"Just hurry up and change your shoes so we can go now.", Sakura demanded.

"Hai. Hai."

Sakura watched on as Ino changed her shoes.

**['Finding an obviously gorgeous guy… _gorgeous_ , doesn't mean that I like him. **

She reached for her hairclips.

**Besides, I've had a crush on Sasori for a while now.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Hey, Sakura-chan!", Naruto greeted her as he met her in the hallway.

Sakura was about to smile at him when she noticed Sasuke following behind him. She then quickly lowered her head and quickened her pace.

"Err… Sakura-chan?"

"Sorry. I'm in a hurry.", she muttered, keeping her head lowered as she passed by them.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Naruto approached Sakura as soon as the teacher left the classroom. "Any chance I can take you up on your offer to teach me?", he told her.

"I…"

"Naruto.", Choji called him from the door. "Someone's asking for you."

Sakura saw Sasuke outside their classroom.

"I can't… today… actually. Maybe another time.", said Sakura before picking up her things and leaving the room in a hurry.

**.**

**.**

**.**

One afternoon while their class was in the library;

Lee sat in front of Sakura during the activity.

A blushing Lee mustered the courage to start a conversation. "Uhm. Sakura-san?"

"Yeah." Sakura looked up from her work.

"Could you help me with this problem? I seem to be having a great difficulty solving it."

Sakura was about to help Lee when she caught a glimpse of Naruto looking at them.

**['If I entertain Lee, it will be obvious to Naruto that I'm only avoiding him. I'm not prepared to give him an explanation as to why so…']**

"I… I-If you can't understand how it arrived to that answer with an _open book_ , then… I doubt I can do anything to help you.", she shut him down.

"Oh… I understand.", Lee lowered his head in disappointment. "Y-You have a point. I'll go over it again and try harder to learn it this time."

**['Sorry. Hang in there.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura walked out of the classroom and found Naruto and Sasuke hanging around in the hallway.

Naruto noticed her and both boy's attention turned to her.

Coincidentally, Sakura saw Sasori as he just descended the stairs.

"Sasori!", she called to him.

Sasori stopped and turned around to look her way.

Sakura ran towards him. "Are you heading to the cafeteria?"

"Yeah."

"Can I join you?"

"S-Sure. But… where's Ino?"

"Absent. It's just you and me today. Hope that's okay with you?"

"Of course." Sasori seemed happy. He then noticed the two boys looking at them.

Naruto quickly looked away while Sasuke only rolled his eyes.

"Come on then." Sakura grab his arm and pulled him forward.

Sasori turned to Sakura again, blushing slightly. "O-Okay.", said Sasori as he let her lead the way.

**.**

**..**

…

Two years later;

**/"Since you've been a student of Konoha high school for two years now, I'm sure you've heard about me and this method of 'pairing' I implement on all of the classes I've handled in all my years of teaching here in this school…**

**I will group you into pairs…**

… **Whose ever name is written above yours, will be your assigned partner…**

…

**/"That's all of you. So~ Are you guys ready for the reveal?"/**

…

…

…

**/"Sakura's the one who really got it easy."/**

**'Uchiha Sasuke'**

…

**/"Uhm, Naruto?"/**

**/"Huh?! Sakura-chan?! … What is it? It's unusual for you to be the one to come to me for anything."**

**/"It's about Uchiha Sasuke."/**

**/"Oh."/**

**/"You're friends with him right?"/**

**/"Sorry Sakura-chan! … That was a long time ago. We don't get to talk much anymore."/**

…

**/"… You're just gonna have to suck it up forehead."/**

**/"So, what's with Uchiha? … What's with him and Naruto? … Did he and Naruto fight or something?**

**/"…Naruto has gotten so popular and everyone who's important in school is his friend, they're obviously siding with him. Everyone's assuming that Naruto's still upset with him so everyone just stayed away from Sasuke."/**

**/"Wait! I'm not exactly tolerant of Naruto either. I'm not getting the same treatment."**

**/"Uh, Forehead, you probably didn't know this but, a lot of people actually hate you because of how you treat Naruto."/**

**/"But, do you think, if those two were in good terms, Naruto could've helped me?"/**

**/"Oh, Sakura. If those two were in good terms, Sasuke would hate you for treating Naruto like shit!"/**

(Sakura scowled…)

**/"So, you know a lot about Uchiha huh?"/**

**/"I-I used to have a little crush on him."/**

**/"What about Sakura? Did you think he was cute back then?"/**

**/"Nah! She's been in love with our childhood friend for as long I can remember."/**

(Sakura kept her position and did not join the conversation again. Not even when she became their topic.)

**.**

**.**

**.**

**['If he hadn't been the boy that Ino like back then,**

**If I didn't go through all that effort to avoid him just because he made my heart skipped a beat that one time,**

**Would I have fallen in love with Sasuke-kun way back then?**

...

**_That_ doesn't even matter anymore! **

**The problem is that I'm in love with him _now_. _I'm in love with Sasuke-kun._**

**And even after all that I've been through to… to… contain my… _feelings_ , to… to… hold myself back. After. Everything. I-I did to keep Sasori- **

**Sasori. He's… _gone_! And I'm… I'm… **

**I'm available?']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"What the hell does that entail?!" Sakura grumbled frustratingly. "What the hell am I supposed to do? What is the 'right thing' to do? What… do _I_ want to do?"

Sakura was suddenly startled when Suigetsu opened the door, illuminating the small space she was hiding in.

"Seriously?!", came Karin's voice. "You're checking the broom closet? There's no way she'd be in th- Oh."

Karin appeared behind Suigetsu and was taken aback by Sakura's presence inside the closet.

…

"We… have… customers." Karin glanced at Suigetsu and then turned back to Sakura. "You are needed at the bar."

"I'm on my way.", Sakura tried to be casual.

"O~kay." Karin walked away.

Sakura and Suigetsu lingered a while longer before moving from their respective positions.

Suigetsu looked around the small space. "Who were you talking to?"

"I-I… I'm just gonna..." Sakura desperately pleaded to be let go.

Suigetsu moved back to give way to her as she stepped out of the closet.

Sakura straightened herself before leaving a confused Suigetsu in the hallway.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	29. 7.2

**(7.2)**

**XXXXX**

" ** _He's single and... I'm available."_**

"Here you go Sir.", Sakura told the customer as she served him his cocktail.

She then proceeded to wipe the bar top all the way to where Naruto was seated.

"And… Finish!", said Naruto as he fervently underlined his answer then handed his paper to Sakura.

Sakura inspected his solution carefully before giving her remark. "You got it right."

"Yes!", Naruto beamed. "Thanks for helping me out right now. This is due first period tomorrow and it's not like I can ask Hinata-chan out this late to help me. It's bad enough that I'm taking up her time every morning when she should be relaxing and enjoying the summer break."

"Okay. First of all; It's no big deal." She gave the paper back to Naruto. "And… I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you sooner. I… I'm really very sorry for how I treated you in the past."

"Oh well. That's over and-"

"Secondly; I don't think _Hinata_ would really mind spending her afternoons to help you as well.", Sakura hinted.

"Y-You're right. Hinata-chan's really… nice after all. She'd be willing to help anyone, anytime, anyway she could."

"So~ Hinata comes to school every day to see you?", she implied.

"Yep! She brings me lunch since the cafeteria is close during the summer and helps me out with the lessons. She's been really helpful."

"She's very committed. Make sure you thank her properly okay."

"Yes. Off course.", Naruto nodded.

Karin comes by and laid down a trey on the bar top. "There I'm done.", she told Naruto. "Give me a minute to clock out and change."

Naruto nodded and started putting away his things.

Suigetsu walked in with a rolling tray table carrying clean glasswares and immediately got to work setting them in place.

Sakura noticed how he and Naruto stole mean glances at each other when the other wasn't looking.

The whole exchange caused Suigetsu to work slower than usual.

Karin returned after what seemed like the longest ten minutes Sakura experienced working at the bar. "I'm ready."

Naruto slowly got up – his eyes still on Suigetsu. "We'll go on ahead Sakura. You won't be getting off work until three a.m. right?"

"Yeah."

"I really wish I can do as much for Sasuke-kun but due to my circumstance, I can't", said Karin.

"It's not like I'm doing all this for Sasuke-kun. I just happened to have more free time now, because Sasori's gone back to Tokyo.", Sakura told her. "I'm just keeping myself busy through the summer."

Karin sighed. "Don't work too hard Sakura. You've been overexerting yourself lately. Make sure you get enough rest on your day off tomorrow."

"Don't worry. I will."

"Kay. I'll see you on Monday."

"Get home safe.", bid Sakura.

"Yeah. You too. When you leave work.", replied Naruto.

…

"Two weeks ago, it was that Sasori. This time it's that noisy blonde. He's not thinking of coming here every night, is he now?", whispered Suigetsu the moment Naruto and Karin left the bar.

Sakura and Suigetsu watched Naruto as he gestured to Sasuke who was waiting at one of the tables.

Sasuke nodded to them in response before they headed out the door.

"I never thought I'd say this but… I kinda prefer that Sasori guy hanging around here over that foxface. That guy has something against me I tell ya. When is Sasori coming back anyway?"

Sakura frozed.

"He's not planning on letting you keep getting off work at three a.m. and taking a cab home every day for the… rest of the… summer… now… is… he?" Suigetsu was studying her face. "Oh."

Sakura stared at Suigetsu who seemed to have figured out the situation from her pained facial expression alone.

"He's not coming back this time, is he?" Suigetsu concluded.

"Don't. Tell. Anyone.", Sakura pleaded.

Suigetsu's eyes followed Sasuke as he was walking towards the service hatch connected to the kitchen.

"Especially not Sasuke-kun.", added Sakura.

"Yep.", Suigetsu nodded before leaving Sakura alone in the bar again.

Sakura let out a sigh and found herself staring at Sasuke until a customer approached the bar and had her whip up a drink.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The good thing about their current uniform is that they don't necessarily need a change of clothes. All they had to do was remove the apron, change out of the clogs and wear a sweater over the button up top and they are ready to go.

"See ya Monday Sakura.", bid Tayuya.

"Bye~", said Kin Tsuchi.

"Yeah. See you." Sakura looked away from her phone and smiled at the two girls.

The two girls then walked out, leaving Sakura alone in the changing room.

She returned her gaze to her phone screen. Displayed was picture that Sasori had sent her earlier.

It was a picture of Sasori that he took himself while he was under a beach parasol. Behind him, were a couple of his friends who made an effort to pose and look good for the camera. Further in the back, his other friends look like they were having a fun time near the shore.

Sakura found herself gently smiling at Sasori's akanbe gesture.

And then she read his message.

_*Doing my best. Hope you're giving it your all at your end.*_

Sakura let out a heavy sigh.

She placed her phone back inside her tote bag and removed her pine green cardigan from the hanger. After putting the cardigan on, she took her bag out of her locker.

She then closed her locker and made a move to exit the room.

**.**

**.**

**.**

On her way out, she noticed that the light in Orochimaru's office was kept on. She did a double take and decided to check it out.

…

Through the open door, she saw Sasuke who seemed like he wasn't ready to go home yet. He was going over the records.

She had never seen Sasuke so absorbed in a task so she opted to just leave quietly but she accidentally walked into the rolling tray table left in the hallway just outside the office.

Thanks to her quick reaction, she managed to keep the dishes from falling but she made enough noise to get Sasuke to look up from the book.

"Sakura?"

"I got it! It's all good!", she yelled so he didn't have to get up from his seat. "Sorry! M-My bad. Did I interrupt you in the middle of a computation?"

"Not really."

"Y-You're uhm… really committed to this place aren't you?", she said as she straightened herself. "No wonder Orochimaru-san put you in charge before he and Kabuto-san left for the trip."

Sasuke put the book down and rested his elbows on the table. "So, how's the new schedule working for you?"

"Great! I'm doing great.", she answered. "It's uhm… keeping me productive with my … _spare_ time."

"Are you sure you and Sasori didn't just have a fight because I won't ask you to quit working?"

"What?! No!" Sakura walked into the room, very eager to explain. "That's not the case at all. He just really went back to Tokyo."

**['That's technically not a lie.']**

"We talked about it and… he knows that I have to be here and he understood and… it really is okay for me to keep working here… just… as we… originally agreed on.", she added.

**['That definitely wasn't a lie.']**

Sasuke as usual took a moment to make sure she wasn't lying.

"Okay." He nodded. "And your parents?"

"Hm?"

"They're… okay with you going full time here at work?"

"Oh. Erm… They're actually being very supportive about it."

"Is that normal? Good? Bad?" Sasuke wasn't sure how to word it.

"It's not… _bad_."

**['They're being considerate of my feelings after I told them that Sasori has left me for good.']**

"I see." Sasuke cleared his throat. "You uhm… should go home and get some rest."

"R-Right. I… Good night."

"Good _mornnig_.", Sasuke smirked. "Get home safe."

Sakura had a three second lag before leaving the office.

Sasuke moistened his lips and considered for a moment before getting up from his seat. "I'll walk you out."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Outside the establishment;

Sasuke and Sakura stood by the road as they waited for her cab.

…

Sasuke felt his phone vibrate inside his pocket. He took it out and answered the call.

"…Aa. I'm just finishing up here at work… Aa… Hn… Aa."

As Sasuke put away his phone he noticed Sakura looking at him expectantly. "That was R-Rin."

"Oh." Sakura suddenly felt embarrassed. "I… still can't believe I thought you two were dating.", she mumbled.

"W-What?", Sasuke pardoned.

"What?! Nothing! ... Erm… She's checking up on you?"

"Aa. Making sure I get some rest."

"You should. You're working even harder than before. You're helping your uncle with his therapy in the morning and apart from your own waiting job, you've also taken over both Orochimaru-san and Kabuto-san's duties every night."

"You noticed." Sasuke realized. "By any chance, did that have _a bit_ of an influence as to why you decided to work full time?"

Sakura flinched. Her free hand quickly shot over her mouth. "Uhm… Just… _a bit_.", she admitted, smiling through her hand.

Then she had a realization.

**['Hold on! Is this… considered _flirting_?'] **

Sasuke smirked. "I figured."

She kept her hand over her grin.

**['Subtle flirting?']**

"On a serious note, I could say the same about you."

"What?"

"You're well aware that I can tell when you're running away from something right?"

"Uhn." Sakura sadly nodded in agreement.

The taxi arrived and stopped in front of them.

Sakura slowly walked towards the taxi.

"Sakura.", Sasuke called just as she was opening the car door.

" _YES!_ " Sakura mentally slapped herself for turning around too quickly.

Sasuke placed his left hand inside his pocket and had his right hand on his nape.

**['Totally flirting!']**

"Sasori is in Tokyo so… I take it you don't have any plans tomorrow?", he asked sensibly. "I could just be assuming that you would be free but if you're not-"

"I'm free tomorrow…

**['Wait! No! I can't do this!']**

_NOT_! I-I do… have plans… actually.", she regrettably added.

"Oh. I… understand." Sasuke brought his right hand down. "Nevermind then. I'll see if I can ask someone else instead?"

" _What?!_ I mean, uhm… okay. S-Sorry. Hope it goes well… _whatever it is_."

"A-Aa."

Sasuke move forward and held the door for Sakura.

"T-Thanks."

Sakura clumsily got inside the car.

Sasuke closed the car door as soon as Sakura was comfortably seated inside.

The driver set the car into gear after Sasuke had taken a few steps back.

As the car drove away, Sakura allowed herself to sink further into her seat, overwhelmed by uneasiness.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The sky was still dark when Ino raised the roller door of the flower shop.

She then hunched down and got out into the dimly lit street of the shopping district.

Ino had her platinum blonde hair up in a topknot bun and wore her tracksuit uniform.

"I'm gonna wait for that delivery van here outside!", she yelled back inside before moving towards the sidewalk.

"Ino.", Sakura spoke from behind her.

Startled, Ino squeaked and jumped away from her. She then turned around and regained her composure as soon as she recognized that it was Sakura all along who was for some reason, standing outside their flower shop during that early hour.

"Sheesh Sakura!", Ino burst out. "Why… What are you doi- How long have you been standing there in the dark? Did you come here straight from work?"

Sakura looked serious as she stared into Ino's eyes.

"Sakura?"

"I'm in love with Sasuke-kun." Sakura told her straight up.

Ino released a sarcastic breath. "You don't say."

"He's single and… _I'm available_."

Ino deadpanned. "You don't say."

"I'm not stupid!" Sakura exclaimed. "I may have been a coward. I may have been… 'In denial' about it for some time but… I'm not blind. I think it's safe to assume that Sasuke-kun-"

Ino looked at her expectantly.

"I think... Sasuke-kun might have feelings for me too."

"You…" Ino grinned "... don't _say_."

"Might is good but… it's not good enough anymore. I'm tired of trying to figure him out all in my head. I want to know the truth. I want to be sure. I want to know how he really feels about me. And… I want him to know how I feel about him."

"Now you're talking."

A delivery van pulled up a few feet behind Ino.

"And I'm really considering it but…"

"But what?", questioned Ino as two men got out of the car.

"Good morning Ino.", greeted the elder man. "We got-"

"Wait. Please give us a minute.", Ino politely gestured to the old man.

"Err… okay." The old man adjusted his cap as he and his companion shared a confused look at one another from each side of the van.

Ino turned back to Sakura and nodded, encouraging her to go on.

"I… I can't stop thinking about Karin."

"Why?! Because… She's been Sasuke's fangirl for a while now?"

"She _genuinely_ loves him!"

"And she made sure to tell him that since the very beginning! And as far as I'm concerned, he's done nothing about it up until this point!"

Sakura looked down as she tried to come up with a reasonable argument.

"Tsk! Sakura!" Ino made her look up. "Sasuke doesn't look at Karin the same way he looks at you! The same way _he_ 'pays attention' to _you_! He doesn't make an effort to be with her as much as he does with you!"

"He doesn't make an effort to be with me at all.", argued Sakura. "Remember when he decided not to invite me at his birthday celebration?"

"That's because he _equally_ makes an effort to distant himself _out of consideration for you and Sasori_ and you _know it_? While we're on that subject, let's talk about that one time he asked you to study with him last minute before the finals? Who do you think he did that for?"

"…?!"

**['You don't mean…']**

…

**/"Thank you Sasuke-kun. Thank you so much. It's because you got me the book and because you helped me relaxed that my mind got refreshed. And also, thanks again for taking this to Karin for me."/**

**/"Hold on… I don't want your thanks."/**

**/"Huh?"/**

**/"I want to ask for a favor in return."/**

**/"W-What favor?"/**

**/"Since you're done with Sasori's 'practice thesis', can you help me with my review? … Can you… study with me? Tomorrow? Even if it's just for a few hours. Or could I just- Do you mind if I call you tonight to ask whatever, about any of the lessons?"/**

**/"Oh. Of course! … I'm glad you're really taking your studies seriously. Sure you can call me anytime. And, yeah. Let's meat at the library tomorrow."/**

…

"Did you think it was a coincidence that the one time you tied Hyuuga Neji in the academic ranking happens to be the same period when you had to go over our lessons more than usual because you were tutoring Sasuke even though he turned out to be _somewhat smarter_ than we thought?", Ino implied.

"…"

"That's right He did it for you! He knew that you always gave it your all when it comes to helping Sasori but that resulted in you often neglecting your own studies."

…

**/"…Can I also work on my own thing while you're doing that?"/**

**/"Is it homework for Sasori again?"/**

**/"Yes. But I actually want to try your suggestion. I might ask him to call me tonight so I want to start reading this module so I can be prepared to give him a lecture."/**

**/"Go ahead."/**

**"Thanks."/**

**/"Didn't you tell him that we have our finals soon? Don't you have your own studying to do?"/**

**/"I'm okay. I still have a lot of time and even if I don't, I can just go over my notes, five minutes before the test. Besides, I go over each lesson with you so that's just as good as studying."/**

**/"Is that how you've been reviewing all this time?"/**

**/"Yup! … Aren't I a genius? That's all the studying I need to do."/**

**/"You do realize that you could've done better if- Never mind... Suit yourself."/**

…

"I supposed, I always knew but I pushed the thought at the back of my head because you were doing it all for Sasori." Ino admitted. "But… the thing is you've been overconfident and reckless with your own studies and I had allowed it. Maybe that's why your mom was always treating your achievements half-baked. _It was_!"

**['It… was.']**

"Now, I didn't realize this until the results of the finals were posted and even then… my initial reaction was not to credit Sasuke because I had thought that the extra effort was demanded by the pairing and the results would've been the same regardless of who you got paired with. But… the fact of the matter is that… _it was Sasuke_ who you got paired with and… _he_ was the one who did what he had to do. _Fo_ r _you_."

**['Was it really… all for me?']**

"Ino. The flowers." The old man suddenly spoke again. "Maybe we could…"

Ino raised her index finger back at him. "J-Just a moment sir. Please."

The old man fell into silence once again, much to his companion's annoyance.

"Who exactly did you think he came to school for?" Ino turned back to Sakura. "He didn't do it for Kakashi-sensei. He didn't even do it for Naruto. He certainly didn't do it for Karin."

**['For me? Not for them but… just for me?']**

"But… To Karin… Sasuke-kun is…"

**['She's her everything.']**

"Sakura… Listen-"

"I'm sorry Ino.", the younger man interrupted her this time. "This sounds… err… serious but… we have a job to do and if you could just-"

"I said hold on!", Ino snarled at the man behind her.

"But-", he tried to speak.

"Can't you see that we are in the middle of a very sensitive conversation?! My friend here had been miserable for a while now!", Ino snapped at him.

"Sshhhh! Keep it down Ino!" Sakura implored.

Despite her pleading, Ino went on ranting; "The most gorgeous boy on the face of the planet had swept her off her feet while his childhood sweetheart was away! She struggled to keep her emotions at bay and her priorities straight! She endured heartbreak… after heartbreak… _after heartbreak_. She… fought to keep her childhood sweetheart but _he_ ended up accepting the fact that she's already in love with someone else and just opted to move on and be happy for her. But she's far from happy! She's hurt and torn and guilt-ridden for breaking someone's heart! She had kept to herself ever since, feeling undeserving of ever being love back."

Sympathy transformed the faces of the two men. They looked at Sakura with great concern as Ino took a moment to catch her breath.

"I-Is that true?"

Sakura ended up feeling very uncomfortable in that situation.

"Hey Ino.", Shikamaru called her from one of the windows on the second floor of the toy store across the flower shop. "Who's this who's 'feeling undeserving of ever being love back' now that got you screaming so loud this early in the morning?!", he questioned her while lazily rubbing his eyes. "Sakura?"

"Yep.". Sakura tried to keep it casual. "Good morning."

"Is this about Uchiha?", inquired Shikamaru.

"Y…You know-" Sakura paused. "Of course you did."

"Ahah! I knew it!"

Shikamaru and everyone else down on the street turned to the boy peeking out from one of the windows on the second floor of the food store on the left side of the flower shop.

"I just knew something was going on between the two of you. Just so you know, I shipped the both of you before it was a thing!", declared Choji. "Take that Shikamaru! Take that Ino. Who's the genius now?!"

Shikamaru sighed while Ino stuck her tongue out to Choji.

"Great. Good for you!", Sakura congratulated him sarcastically.

"Sorry about the… other guy leaving you by the way.", asked Choji. "Must've been hard after you went through all that trouble choosing him?"

Sakura fell silent.

"You can shut up now Choji!", said Shikamaru.

" _Both of you_ … can shut up now!", joined Ino. "I was just about to say something very important to her!"

Sakura felt discouraged. "Maybe… we should talk about this another time."

"No!" Ino furrowed her eyebrows and widened her eyes at Sakura. "You haven't talked to me in a while! You've obviously been struggling with your emotions all this time and yet… you haven't come to a resolve at all! If I let you walk away from me now, who knows when you'll have a reason to see me again?! More so… the courage to hear me out?!"

"I said keep you voice down!", demanded Sakura.

"I know what you're thinking. I know what you're considering. I know you treat Karin as a friend but…"

Ino's father suddenly appeared behind the roller door.

"Ino?", he called as he completely raised the roller door. "What's with all the commotion? I can hear you shrieking all the way from my study."

Ino threw her hands in the air, exasperatedly. " _Seriously?!_ "

"And your mother's asking if the van had arrived ye- Oh. You're here."

At this point, the men weren't sure what to do next.

Ino's father then noticed Sakura. "Is that Sakura? You're the one with the love problem Ino was getting all distressed about?"

"YES! Yes dad. Yes it's her! She's the miserable girl who fell in love with someone else!", Ino sassed.

"Ino!", Sakura grumbled.

Ino's father stared at Sakura unbelievably. "You did?! I certainly hope it's not with Uchiha Sasuke?!"

"Is there anyone at all who didn't see this coming?!", Sakura burst out.

"Oh. Oh my… Erm…"

Ino glared at her father as Sakura brought her palms up to her face.

"That's indeed very… inconvenient. And with… Uzumaki and all… What a disaste-"

Ino moved her hand horizontally across her neck, gesturing her father to stop.

Sakura brought her hands away from her face and had them crossed over her chest. She then looked down while shifting her weight back and forth between both feet.

"I mean…" Ino's father cleared his throat. "Sorry to hear about your situation. G-Goodluck with… that."

Sakura tried her best to smile at him while her lips were pressed tightly together.

…

Ino tilted her head slightly, offering her father an out.

The man then nodded at her daughter before leading the other men towards the back of their van.

Sakura and Ino were left on their own.

Ino picked up from where she left. "Sakura as I was saying~ I know you treat Karin as a friend but I'm not letting you do this _AGAIN_! Not after everything you've been through! Not after what Sasori did for you!"

"I… uhm…

**['What does she mean...']**

… _Again_?" Sakura looked puzzled.

"I'm not letting you bottle up your feelings for Sasuke again just because a friend called dibs on him first."

"Eh? I'm not sure-"

"Don't even think about denying it now! I finally figured out why you were extremely cold to Naruto in the past. You're guard around him only diminished when he and Sasuke became distant. You were the only one who wasn't curious about why they were growing apart _or rather_ … you purposely avoided topics that concerned them. And then, I realized that you only exhibited that very same dodgy attitude again, after the first time I pointed out your attraction for Sasuke. Also, these past few weeks, it became very evident that you're more uneasy around Sasuke than you are around Naruto."

"Hah! I however, noticed the attraction between them since the first week!", noted Choji.

"Zip it!" Ino yelled at Choji before turning back to Sakura. "My conclusion is… It wasn't Naruto you've been avoiding the whole time. It was the person he was always with who I just happened to like back then."

"Ino… I… I'm sorry. I never meant to…"

"Sshhh! No point in being upset over it now. If anything, I'm moved to know that you were willing to give up on him because I declared my feelings for him first. I'm happy but also extremely guilty."

"Ino."

"Don't fret. I understand that the overall circumstance back then, including your developing intimacy with Sasori, really did call for the matter to be considered better off left untouched. It's too late to dwell on that matter now anyway."

"…"

"Going back on topic…" Ino reached for Sakura's hands. "You have as much right to express your feelings for Sasuke as does Karin. You have as much right to want to be with him. And you have as much right to want him to love you back. Remember what I told Ami that one time?"

…

**/"Any guy who likes Sakura is entitled to his own feelings! And Sakura can like whoever she likes! And if that guy just happens to like her back, then that's that!"/**

…

"Yes. I remember." Sakura nodded.

Ino held Sakura's hands tighter. "I'm sorry I used to tell you not to love Sasuke. It was never my decision to make in the first place. No one has the right to tell you who to love. If you love Sasuke then go for it! Tell him. And if he happens to feel the same way about you… then that's that."

"…"

Sakura surveyed her surroundings as she let Ino's words sink in. It was definitely less quiet than earlier since more shops have already started getting ready to open. She then took a quick glanced at Choji and at Shikamaru before looking back at Ino.

All three had expectant looks on their faces.

…

…

…

"Forehead? Talk to me."

"Ino."

"Yeah?!"

Sakura finally smiled. "You're going to become a great psychotherapist in the future."

"Y-You…" Ino smiled back at her, radiantly. "You bet I am."

"Thank you for your wonderful counselling."

"Speaking of counselling, your time is up." Ino let go of her hand and took a step back. "I have flowers that are in need of my attention so… I'm gonna let you go and do whatever it is you need to do."

Sakura bowed to the three men behind Ino who were now individually carrying a crate of flowers.

Ino's father smiled at her in return before making his way back inside the shop.

Sakura then slowly moved back and turned on her heel.

Ino eyes trailed at her back as she moves further away.

"So… does this mean she's going for it?", wondered Choji.

"Yes. She's going for it.", said Shikamaru. "Is she?"

"She's going for it alright!", proclaimed Ino.

Behind her, the old man put down his own crate, took of his hat and waved them up in the air. "Go get him young miss!"

"Best of luck!", the other man peeked out from the back of the van.

With happy and hopeful expressions, they all looked on at Sakura's distant form. Ino seemed really proud of her.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	30. 7.3

**(7.3)**

**FOOLS**

" ** _We can talk about… us, when this is over."_**

Sakura was sitting by the bar inside a 24 hours donburi restaurant, waiting for her order.

She hears her alarm and immediately knew what she would read if she check her phone.

…

'Wake-up-call:USasuke'

**['Right. I keep forgetting to cancel this reminder.']**

Smiling to herself, she dialed Sasuke's number.

He didn't answer.

She tried again.

**['He's still not picking up.']**

"Here you go miss.", the woman behind the bar told her as she handed her the food in a takeout bag. "Two orders of gyudon."

"Thank you." Sakura smiled at the woman before looking back at her phone.

She then searched her contacts for Suigetsu's name and dialed his number instead.

…

" _W-Wha… I mean H-Hello?"_

-grumbled Suigetsu.

"Hi. Suigetsu. Good morning. Sorry to call you so early."

" _Sak- Sakura?… what the fuck?! It's barely after dawn!"_

"Yeah. I'm really sorry. Can you do me a favor and wake Sasuke-kun up for me."

" _Huh?"_

"I know he's probably tired and only got into bed only a few hours ago but I really need to tell him something."

" _Sasuke… (*yawns*) isn't here-"_

…

"Uhm… Hello? Suigetsu? _Hello_?"

…

**['Did he fall back to sleep?']**

Sakura ended the call.

**['Sasuke's probably still at the bar. Either he was too tired to go home or… he's not done working.']**

Sakura stood up got her things and left the restaurant.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The sky was already bright by the time Sakura got back at the bar. She walked into the alley at the side of the building.

She headed straight for the service door, reached for the lever handle and tried to open the door but surely enough it was locked.

Then, she tried knocking a few times

"Sasuke-kun!", she called.

Her knocks eventually became harder and heavier and her calls became louder but there was still no response coming from inside.

She stepped away from the door and carefully laid down the take out packaging on the door steps in order to free her other hand. She then took her phone out of her bag to check for the time.

'06:09 am / Sun, Aug 16'

**['Does he not here me? Could he just be deep in his sleep? But… what if… he passed out due to exhaustion?']**

Sakura looked around and noticed the high window directly above the garbage bin placed beside the door. She put her phone back inside her tote bag and laid the bag beside the take out packaging.

She climbed up on the garbage bin then realized that she was still too short. She had to stand on her toes so she could take a peek inside.

As she was looking through the window, Sasuke suddenly opened the door and peeked outside while in the middle of putting on a plain white t-shirt. The zipper of his pants was barely closed and both the button and his belt buckle were undone. He was slightly confused after finding no one in front of the door until he turned his head and found her in her current position.

"Sakura?!" His initial reaction was to finish adjusting his shirt and finally fastening his belt buckle.

"Oh. There you are-" Sakura recklessly allowed her legs to relax and almost lost her balance.

"Sak-!"

Sasuke got worried for a second but she prevented her fall by leaning her weight towards the wall.

Sakura sighed in relief. "That… was close."

Sasuke decided to assist her down as soon as possible. He side-stepped the bags placed on the door steps as he moved closer to Sakura and held out his hand.

Sakura blushed but accepted the help with a smile. She let Sasuke hold her right hand as she carefully got down from the garbage bin.

Sakura breathe in Sasuke's scent for the first time in a long while.

**['It's been a while. He's not wearing his perfume but… there's a strong smell of shampoo coming from him.']**

She then just noticed that apart from the fresh clean clothes he had changed into, his hair was still slightly damp. He was also only wearing slippers.

"Oh I see. You were in the shower.", said Sakura just as her face was on the same level as his.

"A-Aa.", confirmed Sasuke with slightly pink cheeks.

Once Sakura was safely stepping on the pavement, she pulled away and flashed him a warm smile. "Good morning by the way."

"Aa. What are you doing here? You haven't gone home yet, have you?" Sasuke was looking at her clothes.

"No. Not yet." Sakura admitted.

"Where were you up until now then?"

"Ino. I was with her until I- I… changed my mind. I'm available." Sakura blushed heavily. "I mean, I'm free so… if you still need me… for… whatever. I'm here."

"You came here just to tell me that in person?"

"I tried calling you but you weren't picking up. I ended up calling Suigetsu too."

"You did?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

Sakura nodded. "In his half sleep state, he told me that you weren't there with him. Then he just stopped talking. I think he fell asleep again. Well… I figured that you'd still be here so I decided to just come by and check. Oh yeah!" Sakura picked up the bags. "I got us breakfast." She held the take out bag up to him.

"I see." Sasuke accepted the food. "Thanks. Hn… Seems like you were in such a hurry to tell me you changed your mind."

"I-I… uhm… I felt really bad shutting you down like that. I didn't even hear you out at all."

"It's okay. I just thought I'd try asking you first. I completely understand if you have your own thing to do today. It's not like I can't ask someone else."

Sakura frowned. "That's the thing! I realized I didn't want you to ask someone else."

"…?!"

"I mean… I… really do… want to help you out.", Sakura bashfully avoided eye contact.

"Well… this is great." Sasuke sighed. "I had been gathering up the courage to ask you for this favor all week actually."

"All week?" Sakura was taken aback. "Oh. I-I'm sorry. To think I almost turned you down. Now I feel really horrible."

"Anyway, you're here now."

"Yes. So… what was that favor anyway?"

"Right… well… Why don't we come in first.", Sasuke invited her in.

"Yeah. Sure." Sakura trailed after him.

**.**

**.**

**.**

In the break room;

Sasuke came back from the kitchen with two cups of coffee. He joined Sakura on the table, sitting across her.

Sakura had already set up the food ready for consumption.

"Thanks.", said Sasuke as he accepted the utensils from her. "So, today is my father's birthday."

"Really?" Sakura put a spoonful of beef and rice into her mouth.

He also started digging into his food. "It's also… his and my mother's death anniversary."

Sakura almost choke on her food.

"I normally just pay a visit to their graves on my own but this year, I thought I'd honor the anniversary of their death with… uhm…" Sasuke cleared his throat. "My uncle and… Rin."

"Oh." Sakura washed the food down with coffee. "That's… I think Rin would like that."

Sasuke nodded. "You know, I'm the reason why those two haven't gotten married yet. Rin acts like it was her fault that I moved out of the house. She probably felt like it wouldn't be right for her to move in with my uncle if I myself refuse to stay and live there.". added Sasuke "Since she got here, she's been nothing but kind and considerate towards me.", he continued. "She tried her best to show me how much she was willing to play the role of a mother without ever overstepping her boundaries..."

Sakura almost choke on her food again. "R-Role of a m-mother. Of course!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her as she set her spoon down and downed her coffee in one go.

"But… I've never been able to show her my gratitude.", he continued. "I've never been able to make her feel like I accept her as a part of the family. Both her and my uncle."

"But you want to?" Sakura was gently smiling at him.

Sasuke left his food alone and rested his elbows on the table.

"Yes. And I was thinking of giving them a surprise dinner to show my thanks and appreciation. Also to celebrate my uncle's recovery and discharge from the hospital."

"That's really wonderful!", Sakura beamed. "So, you need my help setting up this surprise?"

"Indeed. Whenever the three of us had the chance to eat a meal together, Rin was a hundred percent hands on. She would always make a great effort to prepare a wonderful feast. She would try way too hard to make sure the meal goes perfectly well. She's too devoted and pays way too much attention to details so… in order for my surprise to work, she has to have absolutely no idea about this dinner whatsoever. Which is why, I decided to have it on the same day as my parent's death anniversary. I'll have her and Obito accompany me to the memorial while my accomplish – _you,_ make the last minute preparation."

"Okay."

"I also plan on inviting Kakashi, Naruto and Karin so it can be a legitimate celebration."

"That's a great idea."

"Hn. Their presence would make it less emotional between the three of us. Besides, if it were just the three of us, it will probably be awkward and dull."

Sakura chuckled. "It sounds like you're planning on throwing a big party?"

"Kind of. I almost feel guilty for doing it today of all days but… I figured my parents wouldn't mind it this one time.", said Sasuke with a gentle smile.

Sakura happily became more engaged in the conversation. "Where gonna have to prepare a lot of food, taking Naruto into consideration. Where are you having this dinner by the way? Oh and what about work? Will this place be okay if you're not here later? Karin too?"

"This place will be close for today. I'm holding the dinner right here. It's less suspicious since she'll surely offer to drive me to work after visiting the memorial. I don't have to come up with an excuse to have them come here."

"Oh. Okay. Orochimaru-san's okay with that?"

"A-Aa. H-He said… I'm… in charge anyway."

"Wow. Orochimaru-san really does treat you like a precious employee. He gives you that much authority?"

"A-Aa. Anyway, back to the topic of food. I plan on preparing some of Rin's favorite."

"Leave it to me. I'll help you any way I can."

"Aa. Thanks."

Exchanging gentle smiles at one another, the two of them shared a moment for as long as it lasted.

Sakura eventually looked down when she couldn't take much more of the warm and fuzzy feeling she got from staring into his eyes.

"Err… speaking of food." Sakura finally paid attention to her bowl. "We should hurry up and eat this. It's already gotten cold."

"Right."

As they were eating, Sakura would steal a few glances at Sasuke.

**['He's really making an effort to make this surprise happen. It's probably best that I let him focus on it for now. I don't really mind waiting a little bit more. I'll tell him how I feel about him after the party. We can talk about… _us_ ,when this is over.'] **

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura was the first to walk out of the door. She heard her ringtone and made a move to check her inbox. She learned that it was another picture sent by Sasori. She looked closely at the picture while making her way down the steps.

It was probably taken from the night before. This time Sasori was not in the picture. It was only his friends. One group was gathered around a small circle supposedly playing with non-aerial consumer fireworks. The other group, further in the back, was lined up facing the shore. The people from both groups have two things in common. First, they were all marvelling the fireworks frozen in the sky. Second, each of them was particularly positioned closer to a certain other person.

A hint of guilt showed on Sakura's face. The fireworks alone were a very significant reminder of the night Sasori had let her go. The fact that he was surrounded by couples during the time that picture was taken probably made recalling the experience much worse.

Then she received another picture.

It was a picture of him alone. He was making a sad face, but more so to poke fun at her. Of course, it was the next message that truly hit Sakura right in the feels.

_*Make it worth it.*_

Sasuke finally stepped out and proceeded to lock the door behind him.

"Something wrong?", he wondered, finding Sakura just standing still there for so long.

"N-No. Nothing's wrong.", she eagerly answered.

Sasuke nodded then led the way.

Sakura walked a few feet behind him.

Sakura was about to hide her phone when an idea crossed her mind. Sasuke had his back on her, so she took the opportunity to take a stolen picture of him. She then sent the picture of Sasuke to Sasori followed by a message;

_*Working on it.*_

**['To think that these are my first words to him since that time.']**

Sakura immediately got a reply from him.

_*As if a picture of him ALONE with his back turned is any reassurance.*_

Sakura glanced at Sasuke's direction again. He was still looking onward while adjusting his backpack.

Sakura slowed down, turned around and started walking backwards, as she kept up with Sasuke. She quickly took a picture of herself then checked if she got Sasuke in the shot. Satisfied, she then sent the picture to Sasori.

Then she received another message from Sasori.

**['That was fast.']**

_*I'm still looking at his back.*_

Sakura tried to type a reply but she was interrupted as she received a follow up message _._

_*You can do better than that.*_

Knowing that she was not up for the challenge, Sakura just got annoyed at this point. She took another picture of herself with her eyes tightly shut and her tongue sticking out.

As she turned around to face forward, she realized that Sasuke was looking at her.

"Err… I…" Sakura knew that it was time to put her phone away then. "I had a bad reception. I was looking for a good signal!"

Sakura let out a sigh of relief when Sasuke just walked on.

**['Seems like he bought it.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Sasuke found themselves on the sidewalk again, hailing a taxi cab.

When the car stopped in front of them, they made a move to get on. Sasuke held the door open for Sakura as she got inside the back. He then closed the door behind her and took the seat beside the driver.

…

As soon as the cab was a certain distance away from the bar, Sakura took out her phone.

She realized that Sasori had spammed her.

Sakura immediately search for the most recent picture she just took.

She found it and was shocked. "EH?!"

**['What the-']**

She tried to calm down and straighten herself because both Sasuke and the driver were glancing back at her worriedly.

"Everything okay back there?", inquired the driver.

She smiled at him apologetically. "Y-Yeah. Everything's fine. Sorry. I… uhm… just saw something really shocking."

The driver immediately focused back on the road up ahead and so did Sasuke looking very amused.

Sakura also returned her attention to her phone screen.

In the last picture she took, she still caught Sasuke behind her. Except this time, he was looking at the camera with an almost faint smile.

She was extremely blushing while alternately looking the picture and at Sasuke's smirk reflected in the rear view mirror. Her other hand immediately went over her mouth, attempting to hide her goofy grin.

The picture somehow made her happy. Her one and only regret about the picture;

**['My face… though.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasuke had the cab take them to a farmer's market to buy ingredients for the planned dinner. They spent the next twenty minutes or so looking at fresh and beautiful produce,

_~Those hardest to love need it most_

_I watched our bodies turn to ghosts_

_Such good friends, it has to end it always does_

_That's the way life is_

_Do we take that risk?~_

A vendor mistakens them for a couple which Sakura could blame on Sasuke's inability to care about sharing paper cups and even using the same spoon after her when they're trying out free samples of secondary products. But then again, at some point she did offer and insisted on feeding Sasuke when he got his hands full with carrying the shopping bags. There also came a point when Sasuke had to reluctantly ask her to take his wallet out of the back pocket of his pants in which she executed with shaking hands while holding her breath and sweating buckets.

_~And so it all boils down to this_

_We've got our aim but we might miss_

_We are too fragile just to guess_

_And I've been in this place before_

_Fine as we are but we want more_

_That's human nature at its best~_

Back at the bar;

They immediately started on the food that required a long time to prepare. They moved around each other while working. Sakura washed the vegetables while Sasuke took out the meat from the freezer.

As she got ready to start peeling and cutting the veregtables, Sakura stole glances at Sasuke while he placed the meat in hot water in order to thaw it. She then decided to focus more on her work which required the use of a knife.

Unbeknownst to her, Sasuke also took a moment to gaze at her when she looked away. Her hair was up in a messy bun. Locks that escaped the bun were sticking to the sweaty skin of her face and her slender neck. The short sleeves of her white shirt had been rolled up exposing the fair skin of her shoulders.

_~What if we ruin it all, and we love like fools?_

_And all we have we lose?_

_And I don't want you to go but I want you so_

_So tell me what we choose…~_

She felt his eyes on him and so she turned her head and looked his way. She caught him looking from her lean arm and back up to her flushed face. They stared into each other's eyes.

She suddenly winced and Sasuke quickly moved towards her. She pulled her towards the sink in order to wash the cut on her finger but the faucet broke at how eager he was to turn the handle. Water sprayed all over and both of them got wet.

~ _Friends, I watched us as we changed_

_The feelings in my headspace rearranged_

_I want you more than I've wanted anyone_

_Isn't that dangerous?_ ~

Sasuke had to take his shirt off and used it to isolate the splashes towards the sink as he frantically worked on shutting the faucet off.

Each found the other's state both hilarious and attractive. Sasuke attempted to fix the messy mop Saskura's top bun had become. He clears Sakura's face of sticky wet hair and found himself loss in her eyes.

_~The anticipation before the kiss~_

Sakura's cheeks burned at his touch.

His eyes darted down to her lips.

_~Mirrored in my shaking lips-~_

As soon as she felt his thumb brushed along her lips, Sakura closed her eyes.

_Oh God I feel so unprepared-_

_*SCRATCH*~_

Sakura felt the warmth of Sasuke's breath at one moment and then she felt cold the next. The kiss she was anticipating never came.

Listening closely, she heard a voice.

_("Sasuke?")_

Suigetsu's voice.

Her eyes snapped open just as Sasuke was pulling himself away from her.

_("Sasuke? You in here?")_

Suigetsu's voice seemed closer.

Sakura was suddenly in a state of panic and Sasuke was trying to remember what he was doing before he lost his mind. He walked back to the meat while Sakura picked up the knife once again.

"Sasuke?! If you're here then answer me. I've called you like a dozen times.", Suigetsu saw Sasuke first. He continued making his way towards the kitchen. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt and blue cuffed skinny jeans. "I was about to walk away after the first four times. Good thing I tried the door and realized that it wasn't lock. Why aren't you wearing a shirt? Oh and… By the way… Did sakura contact you yet? She called me earlier to- S- _Sakura?_!"

Suigetsu finally noticed Sakura. "Whoah! Erm…" He suddenly looked away.

Sakura and Sasuke were confused at first but then they realized that Sakura's shirt was wet and see through.

"Kya~!" Sakura covered what she could with both her hands. "Excuse me!", she told them before running out of the kitchen.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura tried to dry herself with a hand towel inside the bathroom foyer.

**['What the hell? What the hell was that? We almost kissed like… for real this time.**

**Wait?! Isn't this a good thing?**

**He- Sasuke-kun tried to kiss me.']**

She suddenly heard a knock on the door.

"…?!"

_("Sakura?")_

"Y-Yes?"

_("You okay in there?)_

"YES! I'm fine. Just…" She looked down at her shirt. It was still wet. "I- I'll need a few more minutes!"

_("I got your bag right here.")_

**['My bag. That's perfect!']**

"Thanks! I actually need it right now." Sakura approached the door.

("And a clean shirt if… you need it as well.")

Sakura made sure she held the hand towel over her chest properly before unlocking the door.

_("Uh… I also brought you a clean towel and some bath supplies. Just in case you want to… uh… go ahead and take a_ … _shower.")_

"You have no idea!", she blurted as soon as she opened the door.

"H-here." He awkwardly handed the items to her. He's now wearing his blue t-shirt with the sound logo.

"Thank you. Err… I'm just gonna… ", Sakura pointed a thumb back inside the bathroom.

"Aa. Okay."

"I'll be back out soon. Thanks again." Sakura told him before closing the door.

She leaned her back on the door as she listened to the sound of his footsteps. She let out a sigh as soon as he was gone.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura's damp hair cascaded down on her shoulders as she adjusted her tights.

**['Good thing we were required to wear this under our skirt or else I'd be down to my underwear right now.']**

She then straightened the red and white striped t-shirt that Sasuke had lent her. The hem of the oversized t-shirt ended exactly at her mid-thigh, hiding her tights.

Sakura then walked across the hallway barefooted.

…

On her way back to the kitchen, she noticed someone standing by the door from her peripheral view. She stopped to do a double take and saw Naruto who was donning a black and orange jumpsuit. He was frozen in place, looking at her dumbfounded.

"Naruto?", she was the first to speak.

"T-That shirt…" Naruto sounded confused. "I gave that to Sasuke as a present."

Sakura nodded. "H-He lent it to me. I didn't have anything to change into. I didn't go home-"

Sakura realized the misunderstanding her words would generate a little too late.

"T-TEME!~", Naruto yelled

Sasuke quickly came out of the kitchen. "What?!", he snapped.

He saw Sakura's look and Naruto's furious expression.

"Is this what you have me come over to see?!", implored Naruto.

"This… is…" Sakura tried to speak.

Naruto glared at them alternately. "I- I… Does Karin know about the… _two of you_?!"

The feeling of guilt quickly came over Sakura at the mention of Karin's name.

"It's a misunderstanding." Sasuke stated matter of fact. "You're mistaken."

Sasuke's words hit Sakura more painfully than Naruto's upset face and the thought of Karin.

**['Well… off course it's a misunderstanding. Nothing really happened after all but…']**

"How Teme? How am I mistaken? You and… _her_. She said she hasn't gone home. And I clearly read your message that said; 'you… _stayed_ here'. You two were alone together… all this time?! And… Y- S-She's wearing only your shirt."

"Calm down Dobe. There is a good explanation for that."

**['We almost… _kissed_!'] **

"Fine! Explain!"

"It's true that I stayed here after closing up but she didn't. She was with Ino until she came back here a little after six. And she's wearing my shirt because her uniform got wet from the faucet breaking in the kitchen. That's all there is."

**['So why does he sound like he truly believes that nothing almost happened?']**

"I-Is that true?", Naruto turned to her.

"Eh? Y-Yes! You can ask Ino. Shikamaru and Choji saw me as well. Besides, I didn't even know he stayed here. I thought he went home."

"Yep. I can vouch for her. She called me to ask me to wake Sasuke up." Suigetsu finally joined them. "I told her that he didn't come home and that's probably when she went looking for him here."

"See." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Naruto.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Suigetsu. "And when did you get here?"

"Just… a while ago. I came to check on him myself since neither one of them were answering my calls or replying to my messages."

"Sakura came here a little after six, right? Which means, you two spent at least a few of hours alone before this-" Naruto pointed at Suigetsu. "… _he_ got here."

"Are you serious?", Sasuke deadpanned. "You're going to continue with that… _assumption_? You're not making any sense Dobe."

"I am making complete sense. Tell me. If it was you in my shoes and this is what you found yourself looking at. Tell me what you'll think?"

"…"

Naruto looked at Suigetsu particularly. "Won't you also arrive to the conclusion of these two… erm… these two… ehmmmmm~"

"Why don't you just go ahead and say it Naruto!" Sakura had enough. "You think Sasuke-kun and I HAD SEX!"

The three men were taken aback by how Sakura said the 'S' word with a straight (angry) face.

"Well we didn't!", she continued, angrily. "We didn't do anything! We didn't _kiss_ or touch each other and we certainly didn't have sex!"

Sakura walked (stomped) out on them and went into the kitchen.

…

There was a deafening silence between the three guys she left behind.

**.**

**.**

**.**

After a few minutes of solitude in the kitchen the murmurs that came from where she had left the three boys came to a stop.

"Err… Sakura-chan?", Naruto peeked into the kitchen. "I want to apologize. I- I… jump to conclusions. S-Sorry for the things I said earlier."

Sakura stayed silent and went back to slicing onions.

"I totally understand if you're mad." Naruto slowly walked into the kitchen. "That was… really… I was wrong and I'm really, really sorry."

Sasuke and Suigetsu were soon following behind him.

"So you called this guy over after Sakura refused to help you?", Suigetsu asked him.

"I only refused him at first!", Sakura finally spoke. "I changed my mind. That's why I'm here."

"Why didn't you ask me?!" Suigetsu was upset.

Sasuke ignored him. "My bad Naruto. I forgot to get back to you. I should've informed you that Sakura agreed to help me out so I didn't have to settle for you."

"Yeah! _Your_ bad! If only you mentioned about the surprise earlier, I wouldn't have been so shocked to see Sakura here." Naruto scolded him. "Wait?! What do you mean _settle_ for me? Do you have that little faith in me or something?!"

"At least he thought of asking you even though you're a last resort.", Suigetsu bitterly remarked as he was seasoning the thawed meat.

…

"I should probably call everyone right now and inform them that we won't be opening tonight, before anyone else walks in on u- … shows up."

It made Sakura blushed.

Suigetsu rolled his eyes awkwardly.

"And delay the preparation.", Sasuke added. "I can only explain this surprise one last time and I'm saving it for My uncle and Rin.", said Sasuke before taking out his phone.

"What about Karin?", asked Naruto.

"Aa. Except her. She'll be here for her shift unaware of the surprise."

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other briefly before he left.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	31. 7.4

**(7.4)**

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _You certainly did."_**

Sakura, Naruto and Suigetsu were gathered around the table, having lunch.

"Why are we only eating fish cakes and onigiri?", Naruto complained. "What happened to all the food you were cooking up back there?"

"That's for tonight.", said Sakura. "Besides, all we did was prepped the ingredients and marinated the meat. The real cooking starts later. But first, we got to get the next room ready for our honoured guess. We only need one long table."

"Can't you at least like get a real meal done for right now?", pleaded Naruto.

"If you don't like what I made for you then you're free to leave and eat wherever you like, whatever you like.", Sakura snarled.

Naruto chose to drop it. "Sheesh! Someone's still salty. I already apologized like a million times."

"Don't think that's what she's pissed about.", Suigetsu implied but not teasingly. He sounded concerned.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ooh!." Naruto thought of something. "Could it be…"

Sakura and Suigetsu were worried for a second that he caught on.

"You're on your period?", Naruto indiscreetly asked her.

Suigetsu rolled his eyes while Sakura got up from her chair and started walking away, irritably.

"Must be heavy.", Naruto commented.

Suigetsu also stood up, picked up his plate after putting more fish cakes on it and walked away from him as well.

Sakura and Suigetsu stopped when they met Sasuke on his way to the break room. He had changed into all black formal attire. Their eyes were glued to him.

"Looking sharp.", Suigetsu remarked.

Sakura was stunned to see Sasuke wearing expensive clothes for the first time.

"You headed to the hospital now?", inquired Naruto.

"Aa. Kakashi's probably there but he won't stay too long. He's going to want to give us some private family time as soon as my uncle is discharged maybe by early afternoon. I'll somehow find a way to tell him to come here without cluing the other two in. If I happen to see Karin as well, I'll send her early too. I'll leave it to you guys to tell them what's up when they get here."

Sakura nodded.

**['Right. Sasuke's making an effort to throw a surprise for his uncle and Rin despite the fact that today is his parent's death anniversary. He doesn't have time to think about anything else.']**

"And then you'll ask them to accompany you to the memorial?", asked Naruto.

"Aa. I'll make sure we get here around four. I want to make its an early dinner so Rin and my uncle can be at home by six or seven. I don't want to tire him too much." Sasuke turned to Sakura. "Is that enough time? Can you get everything done by then?"

"Yeah.", Sakura said confidently. "That's more than enough!"

**['I too should just focus on helping him right now.']**

"Thanks. Sorry I'm relying on you so much right now-"

"Sasuke-kun!"

"H-Hn?"

"Sometimes, saying thank you is enough."

Sasuke looked away from Sakura to glance at both Naruto and Suigetsu individually. Both of their facial expressions say they agree with what Sakura had just said.

"Aa. Th-"

"But!… Save it for later. When this is over, come to me and say it properly. Okay?"

"A-Aa." Sasuke nodded at her and at the others before leaving.

…

"Okay!" Sakura was pumped. She turned to the other two. "Let's get to work!"

"Yeah!", both Naruto and Suigetsu responded.

"But first, let me finish this.", said Suigetsu before he took a fish cake from his plate and bit into it.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Suigetsu had started plating some of the food.

"Naruto!", yelled Sakura. "We're almost done here. How's your end?"

…

When Sakura heard no reply, she called him again. "Naruto?"

_("Come see for yourself!")_

Sakura and Suigetsu looked away from their work to stare quizzically at each other.

Suigetsu turned the grill off while Sakura put down the bowl of shiso. The both of them walked towards the service hatch to take a look at what Naruto had proudly accomplished.

…

"Ta-da~!", exclaimed Naruto. "So, what do you think?"

Naruto had moved aside all but one long table. He had all the unneeded chairs placed on top of the unneeded tables then covered it with black and orange table clothes and curtains. He also placed candle holders of different designs all over any available surface including the table they will be using for the dinner which was also painfully too black and too orange.

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow. "Those must be old Halloween decorations. Where'd he dig those up?", murmured Suigetsu.

"Err…" Sakura was unsure of how to word it. "I don't know Naruto. Seems a bit… It' s dark and creepy."

"Sakura who are you talking to?", Suigetsu jested. "Is it perhaps that floating yellow urchin whatchamacallit?"

"Ha. Ha. Ha.", Naruto responded sarcastically. "Very funny _BEAR TRAP_."

Both men glared at each other.

"I can't believe Sasuke thought about asking you and not me. You're not helpful at all.", Suigetsu started.

"I can't believe you're still here. You weren't invited at all.", was Naruto's response to that.

The tension between the two grew.

"What is your problem with me?"

"What's _your_ problem with me?!"

"Stop it, the both of you!", Sakura intervened. "And Naruto, maybe… lessen the orange."

"Or totally get rid of it.", mumbled Suigetsu.

"SOME~", Sakura talked over him. " _Red and white_ would be appreciated with all that black. That's kind of an Uchiha thing. You know, since… this is about _them_. (Not you.)"

"Gotcha!", complied Naruto.

…

"Whoah! What the hell is all _this_ about?", Karin walked into the room accompanied by Kakashi. "So this is where you were?"

Karin wore a maroon duster coat over her uniform. Kakashi was wearing a black dress shirt tucked inside his black straight cut jeans.

"Oh! You're here!", Naruto beamed.

"For a moment there, we thought you and Sasuke had another fight since you didn't show up at the hospital and he wouldn't talk about you.", Kakshi told Naruto.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"It was Sasuke's idea!"

"Sasuke-kun?" Karin looked at Sakura for confirmation.

Sakura nodded.

"I'll explain everything- Err… why don't you help me out with the decorations while I do that.", appealed Naruto.

"Very well~" Karin joined him.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Suigetsu stepped away from the hatch and moved back to their work station just as Kakashi entered the kitchen.

"So what's this all about?", he inquired.

"It's to celebrate Obito-san's discharge from the hospital and… a surprise thank you dinner for Rin. Sasuke-kun wanted to show her that he treats her as a part of his family.", explained Sakura.

"Oh!" Kakashi was astounded. "That's… really thoughtful of him."

Sakura smiled at him. "Isn't it?"

Kakashi also had a gentle smile as he gazed at Sakura. "So, anything I can help with?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura was in the rooftop.

She came to get her uniform that she had hung to dry earlier. She reaches for her blouse and noticed the band aid on her finger.

Smiling to herself, she put the memory of Sasuke almost kissing her at the back of her head. She took her clothes and walked back inside.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Coming back down from the rooftop and on her way to the changing room, she met Kakashi in the hallway.

He was wiping his hands dry with a towel. "I just fixed the faucet."

"Really? Thank you."

"Are you changing into that?", Kakashi noticed the apparels she was carrying.

"Y-Yeah. Suigetsu and I thought that we'd make the dinner more special. We want to make Rin feel like she's a v.i.p. customer so~ _'We will be your waiters for tonight'_.", Said Sakura as she bowed.

"Maybe I can help with that.", said Karin as she appeared behind Sakura. "I'm already wearing my uniform anyway."

Sakura turned to her. "You, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei are all special guest though."

"Come on! Since we're all here, why don't we all work together to make it all the more special."

"I agree.", Kakashi seconded.

"I-I supposed we could."

"It's decided then. Anyway, we're finished decorating. I went ahead and did the table setting as well. Come have a look."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Kakashi followed Karin into the room. Suigetsu also peeked out of the service hatch to take a look.

Naruto cleared his throat. "So~ Once again… _TA-DA~!_ "

…

Karin somehow persuaded Naruto to remove all of the Halloween themed fabric. The tables were now neatly aligned at one corner of the room where it won't obstruct the bar and the stage. Instead of covering it up, she had the lights on that part of the room turned off. The only lighting fixture turned on was the ones directly above the table that will be used for the dinner.

That table was dressed with a white table cloth and a red center cloth. They left a few appropriate candle holders that matched the artificial centrepieces. The table setting consisted of black and white dinner wares and red table napkins.

…

"Wow Karin! This is perfect!" Sakura was awed. "It's like that table is a totally different world on its own."

"Hm!" Karin was proud.

"It simple and cozy and… feels like being at home. Just the message Sasuke-kun wanted to convey."

"I nailed it didn't I?"

"I helped too Sakura-chan!", beamed Naruto, pointing his finger at himself.

"Uhn! Great work you two!", Sakura complimented them.

Naruto grinned bashfully and Karin smirked while adjusting her glasses.

"How did you know keeping it simple would work?", wondered Sakura.

"I just like this concept.", said Karin. "Focusing the light where it matters. The white table cloth reflecting the light, making the whole thing even brighter. The silverwares sparkling. It's truly a spectacle."

"What was your inspiration?", asked Kakashi.

"A surgical table."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"Hm." Kakashi shrugged. "I guess we all know what the red table napkins represent."

"And you said my idea was creepy.", Naruto told Sakura.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Suigetsu, who had both changed into their uniforms, were almost done bringing in all the food from the kitchen.

Kakashi and Karin were seated by the bar enjoying their drinks.

Naruto ran into the room. "They're here. Sasuke's trying to get them to come in with him now."

Karin and Kakashi stood up and joined Naruto where they would lie in wait.

Suigetsu hurriedly left the room.

Sakura straightened her uniform and nodded at everyone before walking towards the entrance.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Welcome~!", Sakura greeted the newly arrived guests while holding the door open for them.

"Oh. Sakura.", Rin smiled at her. She wore a violet dress shirt tucked inside a black high-waist midi skirt."

"I finally got to see you again." Obito recognized her. The man looked elegant and poised in his suit as usual. He was killing the look so well that his walking cane didn't seem like it was there for a practical reason.

Sakura smiled and nodded at him. "Congratulations on getting discharged from the hospital."

"I was informed that you knew both Sasuke and Rin very well from school. And that you work here with Sasuke. When he told me that you would be here today I was more than happy to come in and meet you. I'm sure they've thanked you already on my behalf but… Allow me to say it personally." He bowed to her in gratitude. "T-Thank you for what you did for me back then."

"No. No. Please. Don't mention it. I was glad I could help." Sakura returned a bow. "P-Please come in." She invited them to proceed inside.

"Yes." Obito followed her with Rin and Sasuke right behind him. "I hope we won't take up too much of your time. We know you're bus-"

Pass the waiting area, Obito hardly saw anything as all the lights were turned off in the next room.

"Ah… Sasuke-kun?", said Rin as she and Obito were both puzzled.

Sasuke didn't give her any response. He seemed confused as well.

…

_("Mic Test. Test. Mic.")_

"Is that Naruto?", Rin recognized the voice.

_(*Clears throat* "Ladies and Gentleman, let us all welcome our guests of honors for this evening.")_

Rin and Obito were taken aback as a spot light was suddenly directed at them.

_("Now, if our lovely guests would like to take their seats.")_

The light fixtures above the long table lit up revealing the result of everyone's hard work.

"This is…" Rin turned to Sasuke. "Is this… for us?"

"A-Aa." Sasuke nodded a bit puzzled himself.

Sakura led them to their seats. She assisted Obito as he sat down while Sasuke opened a chair for Rin.

Rin was still stunned. "Is this… really happening? Did you really just set us up?", she asked Sasuke.

"Hn. Well… I didn't plan on it being this… dramatic.", he admitted as he sat down.

Sasuke sat at the end of the table. Obito was at his right and Rin was at his left. The couple was seated facing each other.

The spot light shone on Naruto who was standing on the center of the stage. "We are now serving the appetizers.", he announced.

Two more spotlights appeared illuminating Karin and Kakashi who had been standing on each side of the stage. They were both carrying a covered food tray."

"Definitely _not_ this dramatic.", added Sasuke.

"Y-You're here too?!", Rin said to Karin who was approaching her side of the table. Rin was torned between happy and scared.

Kakashi made his way to Obito.

"You were all in it?!", said Obito, calmly.

"Only at the last minute.", Kakashi confessed.

"I did the table set up!", shared Karin. "This design was my idea."

"I helped her.", Naruto said into the mic.

Sasuke cleared his throat.

…

Karin and Kakashi both laid the food tray in front of their respective charges.

"Even though there's already so much food on the table. What is this?", asked Rin.

Karin and Kakashi removed the cover and revealed a plate with an envelope on it.

The couple both looked at each other once and then back at the paper, curiously.

"As you both know…", Sasuke spoke before they could pick up the envelope.

Karin and Kakashi took it as their cue to leave. Naruto also disappeared.

Sakura too hid herself in the shadows.

"I recently turned eighteen and in accordance to my parent's will, I have received my inheritance as well as my brother's since, I am their only remaining heir. The transfer of all properties and other assets to my name has been made official, making the house, 'Rinnegan' and all other assets my parents left behind, officially mine. It also means that…" Sasuke looked at Obito seriously. "Gandfather has lost his privileges as the trustee and therefore, I can now revoke his decision to appoint you as the temporary managing director of Rinnegan."

Rin fell silent while Obito looked on at Sasuke with a blank expression.

"I have the executive right to appoint myself or anyone I deem fit to be the new and official managing director for Rinnegan. You can resume working for Grandfather or… if you prefer, you can pursue a better career opportunity. Even if grandfather doesn't like it, I'll make sure he puts in a good word for you." Sasuke then turned to Rin. "The same goes for you Rin."

"I-I don't understand." Rin was sad. "I- I… There's nothing left in Tokyo for us. For _him_. Obito, he- He… Ever since he moved here, he has done all that he could to keep your parent's assets and businesses alive. He… He almost died working so hard- Your grandfather's decision to appoint him… He proved it to be the right one. Your grandfather knew that. I thought that _you_ knew that. I… What is this Sasuke-kun? What is all this for then?"

Rin did all she could to keep herself from having a breakdown. Obito however took the words like a professional businessman would – calmly and maturely.

"I supposed this is my severance contract.", Obito assumed. "And that would be a life changing offer for Rin. A consolation for everything she had lost when she made the decision to follow me here."

Sasuke nodded. "If you both agree and accept it, it should be more than enough to help you and Rin start over. You will even be able to start a family of your own."

Obito let out a sigh as he finally picked up the envelope.

"Sasuke-kun, this- This was all Obito had. This is all he has now. His job here… You! Konoha became a home to us."

Sasuke lowered his head in apology.

Rin was unhappy and dissatisfied but she also picked up her envelope.

Rin opened the envelope and took out the letter inside. She unfolded the paper and was surprised by the first few words she read. She looked at Obito to see if he had the same reaction to what he was reading.

Obito seemed moved by what he was reading as well.

Rin glanced at Sasuke once again and he nodded for her to continue reading. She gradually became more emotional as she read what was written on the paper.

"This is… a Deed of Absolute Sale."

"Aa.", Sasuke finally smiled. "I never said that you had to move back to Tokyo."

"But… I… it's your parent's house. It's _your_ house."

"It is… at least for a little bit longer.", said Sasuke. "At least until Ojisan signs it. Then, it's 'officially' his. And yours."

"You're giving it to us… just like that? Your parent's house? I… We can't accept it. Obito won't accept it."

"Aa. Uchiha pride. If we want something we have to work hard for it. We can't take what isn't ours and we can't keep what we haven't earned. So. No. I'm not giving it away for free. I'm selling it."

"We… Obito can't afford it. He may have acted as the managing director but he still only works for your grandfather. How will we pay for it?"

"With an advance loan.", Obito concluded. "Is that right?", he asked Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded.

Rin turned to Obito and he showed her what his envelope contained.

"This is a business contract.", said Obito as he handed her the paper. "He's hiring me."

"Hiring you? For what?"

"Well… we recently have a vacancy at my company.", Sasuke implied.

The couple quickly looked at him expectantly.

"My company needs a new managing director but the thing is, I'm already committed to a prior engagement.", explained Sasuke. "I have accepted Grandfather's terms. I cannot do both things so I'm gonna need someone to look after my assets."

Rin's hands went over her mouth. She was getting teary eyed.

"Someone who won't consider this job as just a stepping stone.", continued Sasuke. "Someone who would love this company as much as my parents' did. Someone who would stay and commit to it. And unlike the circumstance of the _previous_ , that I had to let go, I was hoping he could be more… _Permanent_."

Obito reached for Sasuke's shoulders. He was trying so hard to hold his tears back.

They both looked at Rin who was already a mess. "Sasuke-kun, y-you're so sneaky! You got us all worked up!", she whimpered.

"So I take it you're accepting the offer?"

"YES!" / "I… I'll have my resignation letter on your grandfather's desk by noon tomorrow?"

Obito squeezed Sasuke's shoulder one more time before letting go and allowing him to turn to Rin and meet her hug.

"Then…" Sasuke signalled Sakura. "You're both going to need these."

Sakura came out from hiding and walked towards them. She then handed each of them a small black box tied with a red ribbon.

Rin opened her box first and was moved when she found what was inside. "This is…"

"It's about time.", said Sasuke.

Rin was delighted. "Yes. Yes it is. Thank you Sasuke-kun."

"On that note." Sasuke turned to Obito who had to pause and stare at the content of his box.

"Obito?"

"That was my mother's. I want you to have it.", said Sasuke. "Don't worry I already asked for her permission. And you were both with me a when I did."

"First your house… and now… _this_." Obito couldn't hold his tears back any longer at that point.

"What's wrong Obito?" Rin asked him worriedly.

"But… what will you have left from your family?", Obito implored.

" _You_ are my family.", Sasuke told him matter of fact. "And so is she."

Rin experienced a new surge of happiness.

"When you'll put it to use is up to you but… not trying to rush you and all, I think now would be a very good time.", said Sasuke before standing up and receding to where Sakura was watching the whole thing.

"What is it Obito?" What did you get?" Rin was now very eager to know what his gift was.

After careful consideration, Obito also stood up and moved closer to her, carrying the small box.

Obito showed her a hyosatsu for the house that had his name.

Rin smiled and showed him that Sasuke had given her a duplicate of the house key. "This is what I got."

"You know my box had two gifts inside." He reached for her hand and helped her up.

"Obito?"

Just when Rin thought nothing else could make her happier, Obito got down on one knee.

"Are you serious?!"

"Rin Nohara. Will you marry me?" He held out an engagement ring to her.

"I... Oh my- Y-YES!"

The couple smiled at each other, overjoyed.

Rin had to help Obito up slowly. "Careful now."

_~POP-POP~_

Rin and Obito found themselves covered in confetti. They turned their heads and saw that Kakashi, Karin and Naruto had reappeared and were now beside Sakura and Sasuke.

"Congratulations on your engagement!", they chorused.

_~POP~_

Naruto's launch was delayed.

Everyone broke into a fit of laughter as the room brightens up.

…

Somewhere in a corner, Suigetsu had raised a lever.

…

The three special guests fawned over the couple, giving them personal congratulary statements.

"Well. You did it.", Sakura told Sasuke.

Sasuke smiled at Sakura before leaving her to join the others.

Sakura watch him walk away with a gentle smile and a light blush.

**['You certainly did.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

A/N: Yeah, well. You know~ This is one of those... Sorry. Okay. Bye.


	32. 7.5

**(7.5)**

**HURT ANY LESS**

" ** _But… I love you."_**

Six people occupied the long table. Three on each side. Obito, Rin and Kakashi were seated on the right side. Sasuke, Karin and Naruto occupied the left side. They were all engaged in small talks as they enjoyed the dinner.

"Not dramatic my foot. You totally gave an act to mislead them.", Naruto jested.

"Hn. I felt I needed to make all your 'build-up' worth it." Sasuke shot back. "I can only imagine what you and Suigetsu had to go through planning the timing of the light to your cues."

Suigetsu walked in at that moment, carrying their drinks.

Naruto and Suigetsu looked at each other awkwardly before looking away irritably.

Naruto leaned closer to Karin, whispering something while Suigetsu served the drinks and went his way.

…

Suigetsu walked back to the bar where Sakura was watching everyone from. She had her cheeks resting on her hands and her elbows on the bar top.

"Thanks for staying.", she told him as he laid down the empty tray. "I know you and Naruto aren't on good terms but… thanks for being here. Of course, I know that you're only doing it for Sasuke."

Suigetsu smirked. "Aren't we all?", he said as he took a seat on a stool.

**['Ah. I just remembered something.']**

Sakura straightened her back and moved closer to Suigetsu. "Erm… Sui~"

" _Sui?!_ " Suigetsu cringed at the nickname.

"You seem to know a lot about Sasuke-kun~", she said in a lower voice.

"Huh? Y-Yeah."

"I mean, you obviously knew who Rin was to him before I did."

"That's because I'm his roommate. Whenever he needs some advice or just someone to listen to… well, he doesn't really have a choice."

"Sounds like he confides in you a lot?"

"Err… Sort… of."

"He uhm… ever talks about… me?", she whispered.

"Huh?!" Suigetsu slowly leaned away. "Oh… I… n-not that… I'mmmm… aware of. He keeps his subjects anonymous."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him. "That was obviously a lie."

"You're right. I lied. He actually doesn't talk about anything to me at all. I know nothing."

"That's another lie."

"…"

"You know what? Nevermind." Sakura backed away. "I'll find out for myself."

"What? How?", Suigetsu asked worriedly as he leaned towards her again.

"I'll ask him of course.", Sakura deadpanned.

"Why? Why would you do that?!"

"To know what he thinks of me. Duh."

"He thinks you… well. He thinks of you well.", he stressed.

"I- I meant to know how he _feels_ about me?"

"…"

"Like if he maybe… likes me."

"Of course he likes you! If he didn't he wouldn't even see you!", he was intent on assuring her though not in the way he knew she meant. "You know Sasuke? He either likes you or you don't exist!"

"I meant romantic."

"What?!", he laughed sheepishly. "R-Romantic? Him? No way! That's a good joke though."

**['This guy…']**

Sakura was glaring to show her annoyance.

"Y-You…"

"I'm serious."

"About asking him?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yes!"

"Why?!"

"Because I want to know!"

"… W-Why?!"

"Because I like him."

"L-"

"Romantically. Yes.", she specified before he could ask another silly question while pretending to be oblivious.

"Oh."

"What do you mean 'Oh'? What's wrong with _you_?" Sakura threw her hands in the air frustratingly. "You know this. Y-You know everything or at least you seemed like you do but you definitely knew I like him. You even know about Sasori. And I know you know something about Sasuke. Something I don't know."

"Honestly, yes. I know _a lot_ that you don't. At least not yet."

"Like what? Tell me something I don't know."

"You don't know it because he hasn't told you yet himself. So, I can't tell you."

"I keep hearing that!", she muttered. "Everyone always knows something I don't. And every one of you, for some reason chooses to keep it that way out of consideration for him. Why is that?"

"Because that's how important he is to us. We would never do anything to compromise him."

"Anything? Including letting me look like a fool time and time again?"

"Yes.", he stated matter of fact.

"Fine! That's why I said I'm going to ask him myself."

"No!", Suigetsu scream-whispered.

"No?!"

"Look, Sakura, you're a wonderful person. But… Sasuke, he's not good for you. It's not gonna work out between the two of you so~"

"You don't… approve of me? Is that it? But… I thought we were friends."

"We are. And as a friend, I'm telling you to give up on him. What has even gotten into you? Why are you pursuing him now? Just yesterday, you seemed really keen on staying platonic. I don't know what happened between you and this Sasori but if it's still possible to make it work with him, I think you sh-"

"And I don't know what's gotten into you but I don't need your approval. I already decided to tell him how I feel about him."

"Listen. It's for the best if you don't bother with Sa-", Suigetsu had to look at Sasuke to make sure he's not looking at them. With all the whispers and hand gestures they were doing, someone from the table should've figured out by now that something was up. "Whatever you're planning to do? Don't go through with it."

Turns out, he was right. Sasuke had been glancing at them for a while now.

She shook her head. "I'm going to tell him. Tonight. After this dinner."

"You can't!" Suigetsu fought another urge to yell.

"…?"

"You have to understand. I'm saying this for your own sake. And _his_ as well. I care for the both of you and I rarely care about other people. Sasuke, he- I respect the guy a lot. But if you…"

"I'm sorry Suigetsu. You have no idea how much I've been through, just to get to this point. I've hurt and disappointed a number of people and yet they chose to cheer me on. And I know that if I do this, I will hurt a lot more." Sakura looks at Karin and then at Sasuke.

Their eyes met.

"But… I love him. And I want him to know that-"

"No! You can't!" Suigetsu yelled and grabbed Sakura's arm. "You musn-"

Sakura winced at how tight he had held her.

"OI!" Naruto shouted as he stood up from his chair. "Let go of her!"

Karin followed suit. "What the hell are you doing to Sakura you… _freak_?!"

Everyone else at the table was also looking at them curiously and worriedly except for Sasuke whose facial expression can't be read.

Suigetsu let her go, stood from the stool and backed away. He held his hands up to them. "Whoah! I'm not doing anything."

"Liar!", said Karin. "We saw what happened."

"I hadn't intended to do that to her. Honest."

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto looked to her for confirmation.

"H-He's telling the truth." Sakura defended him. "We were just goofing around that's all. I made a joke and… I went too far and offended him. It was my bad."

**['Sasuke will probably see through this lie but… I hope he sees how I'm truly feeling bad for suigetsu right now.']**

"Sorry Suigetsu. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

"U-uhn. I- I'm sorry I lost my cool back then as well.", he responded.

"S-See? It was just a misunderstanding. Now, now you two. Apologize to him.", Rin told Naruto and Karin.

"As if!", Karin sneered.

Naruto said nothing. He just glared at Suigetsu as he sat down.

"You two!", Rin was upset with them.

"Excuse me.", Obito spoke.

Everyone turned to him.

"Miss Haruno. Is he by any chance your boyfriend?"

"What?" Sakura blurted.

"NO!~" She and Suigetsu chorused.

"We're co-workers. He's just a friend.", she added.

"Oh. My bad then. For a moment there I thought you two were having a lover's quarrel."

"HAH?!", Karin snarled. " _Him_ and Sakura? Lovers? That's ridiculous!"

"T-That's right!", Naruto seconded. "There's no way Sakura-chan's gonna go for someone like him!"

"Exactly!", agreed Karin. "There's NO WAY! J-Just… No. ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE!"

…

It was very evident to everyone that Karin was extremely bothered by Obito's assumption.

Uncomfortable with how everyone's eyes were on her, Karin finally took her seat.

"S-Suigetsu is a good man who's charming in his own way.", Sakura felt the need to say it. "But no. We are not lovers."

Suigetsu nodded.

"Obito. Actually… Sakura is-", Rin tried to explain.

"Oh right. Now I remember. That young man.", Obito recalled "You were with him the day you helped me. You two were on a date."

"S-Sasori."

"Please send your boyfriend my regards. Tell him I thank him for what the both of you did for me back then."

"Sasori is just my childhood friend."

Her statement caused six people seated in that table to react in surprise.

Rin pressed her lips together awkwardly.

Kakashi's eyebrows were raised as he slowly regarded the three teenagers in front of him.

Naruto stared at her with wide eyes while his mouth hung open.

Karin seemed anxious, as she turned to look at Sasuke.

And Sasuke, who was already looking at her when Obito brought Sasori up, looked away nonchalantly. He returned his attention to his food.

"…And… Yeah. Sure. I'll definitely pass the message.", she continued.

"Oh.", said Obito. "P-Please do."

Suigetsu was about to bring his palm up to his face but then he segued to appear like he was only checking if his ponytail was still secured.

…

…

…

"Well then." Obito stood up. "We will be taking our leave. Thank you for that delightful surprise and wonderful dinner Sasuke. And to everyone as well. Thank you for being a part of this joyful moment."

Rin also stood up and bowed to everyone. "Thank you for having us."

Everyone else in the table followed suit.

"I'll also go ahead.", decided Kakashi.

"I'll walk you out.", said Sasuke.

Sakura and Suigetsu bowed to Obito and Rin who returned the gesture before making their way out of the bar accompanied by Kakashi and Sasuke.

As soon as they were gone, Sakura immediately started taking some of the dirty dishes back to the kitchen.

**.**

**.**

**.**

After placing the dirty dishes on the sink, Sakura turned around to return for the other dishes and was startled to see Suigetsu right behind her all along.

"We're not done talking." Suigetsu pestered her.

"Uhm. Yes we are!" Sakura took the dirty dishes he had with him and carefully placed it along with all the other dirty dinner wares.

"No were not." Suigetsu had her stepped aside and proceeded to wash the dishes himself.

Sakura held her hand up to him and back away. "I'm telling him. That's final."

"I beg you to consider.", said Suigetsu as he looked back at her. He then realized that they were not alone and motioned for Sakura to look behind her.

Sakura checked behind her and saw Naruto and Karin failing miserably to hide their presence behind the service hatch.

**['Seriously?!']**

"We know you're there.", she announced.

…

"Both of you.", she added.

…

"We can see your fingers. Come on out. It must be tough on your knees and ankles to be squatting down like that."

Brother and sister finally raised their heads and then slowly stood up.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke walked in on them.

Naruto and Karin were both speechless.

Sasuke then turned to the other two in the kitchen. "Sakura. Suigetsu. Stop working already. I'll handle all that later. Join us at the table. You two haven't eaten yet."

"O-Okay.", said Sakura.

Sasuke then left them to return to the table.

The four of them exchanged awkward glances at one another before moving from their respective positions.

Karin and Naruto followed after Sasuke.

Sakura and Suigetsu removed their aprons before making their way out of the kitchen

**.**

**.**

**.**

Five people sat at the table for the after party. They all ate and drank in silence.

Sakura and Suigetsu sat a seat apart. Sakura took Kakashi's spot and sat in front of Naruto. Suigetsu was seated on the chair Obito used and was opposite Sasuke.

The two had to eat slowly and nervously as three pairs of eyes were on them.

Naruto was not done eating so he was gulping down his food without blinking away from them.

Karin sat in silence. She was leaning on the backrest of her seat.

Sasuke was alternately looking at everyone while he took off his suit jacket and removed his tie. He set both aside on the edge of the table. He then loosened his collar and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Then he took a sip from his cocktail drink before resting his elbows on the table.

Maybe it was the fact that he was the one who gathered everyone there in the first place. Sasuke for once, couldn't take the silence. He cleared his throat.

"Is there something wrong with your drink?", Sakura asked worriedly.

"Hn.", he shook his head.

"Oh. Okay." Sakura looked down and it was quiet once again.

…

Karin suddenly elbowed Naruto.

Naruto was a bit disoriented but he got the message. "Erm. This food is really great Sakura-chan!", he started.

"T-Thanks."

"Y-Yeah.", agreed Karin. "Delicious. I especially like this chicken. It was grilled perfectly."

"Yeah me too."

"Suigetsu was the one who cooked that.", shared Sakura.

Naruto and Karin fell silent again.

…

"By the way Karin, won't your father look for if you're not home soon?", wondered Sakura.

"He won't really get mad if I come home a little late. Once in a while is fine.", she answered. "Besides Naruto's here with me."

"I see. But then… will Naruto be okay tomorrow? He has summer school right?"

"I'll be fine. I'm used to staying up late so~"

**.**

**.**

**.**

"How is it that all of you aren't sleepy yet?", Naruto questioned everyone's endurance. He was now having trouble keeping his eyelids from drooping.

There was hardly any food left on the table and there were a lot of empty cocktail glasses on Sasuke and Suigetsu's side of the table.

"I've pulled a lot of all-nighters.", answered Sakura.

"I've been assisting the staff during the graveyard shift recently.", shared Karin.

"We're used to working till morning.", said Suigetsu.

"Again, why are you still here?", Naruto questioned Suigetsu.

"I'm gonna help Sasuke close up then we'll go home together." Suigetsu then turned to Sakura. "If there's anyone who should be getting home by now, It's Sakura. She hasn't gone home since yesterday."

Sakura glared at Suigetsu.

"She hasn't?!", Karin blurted just as Naruto's forehead hit the table.

"Right.", Sasuke realized. "You can go ahead if you want Sakura. I'm sure you're very tired."

"I- I'm fine!", she told him eagerly. "I'm not leaving until… I- I…

**['Until I talk to Sasuke-kun properly.']**

…have a rendezvous with Ino.", she lied. "I'm waiting for her to contact me."

"Do you smell that? Smells like something's burning.", implied Suigetsu.

Sakura glared at him.

"This late?", wondered Karin. "Err... early?"

"They were also together yesterday until dawn so~", mumbled Naruto right before he yawned.

"Are you gonna do it every day? What are the two of you doing?"

"F-Flowers!", said Sakura. "The flowers have to be cut and treated. They do it all before the shop's opening hours. I- I help."

"You're seriously doing way too much.", Karin remarked.

"Well played.", murmured Suigetsu. "But!"

Sakura then looked at Sasuke.

His eyebrows were pulled down together.

**['Of course he knew I was lying.']**

Sakura slowly reached for her hairclips and that's when she realized for the first time that day that she wasn't wearing it.

**['Eh?… M-My hairclips.']**

"It's gone!" She suddenly stood in panic and looked down at the floor behind her.

"Sakura?", Karin worried. "What is it?"

"I… My hairclips."

"The ones you're always wearing?", Karin recalled. "I don't think I saw you wearing them today at all."

"Eh? R-Really? I'm pretty sure I was wearing it when I came here this morning. I think I removed it but…" she started checking her pockets. "I can't exactly remember when. I don't have it here. I might've dropped it somewhere."

"Er… so what? It's just a hairclip.", said Suigetsu.

"Not just a hairclip!" Sakura glared at him before she started covering more ground for her search. "I-It's like a…. a _charm_. Ino gave it to me to…to… fight my insecurities. I've had it since I was eight. And childish as it may sound, I got through my everyday life because of those!"

"That is childish.", said Suigetsu.

"Oh you thought I'm immature now?!", She scoffed. "You thought I was awkward before?! You thought I was bad-tempered before?! Wait till you see me a few more minutes without it!"

"But you haven't been wearing it since I got here this morning."

"That's because I only came to realize that I don't have it n- Wait! _Since this morning_?!", Sakura considered then looked at Sasuke. "W-What if I lost it somewhere in the farmer's market?"

Sasuke took a moment to recall.

"D-Do you remember if I was still wearing it when we got back here?", asked Sakura. "Y-You always paid… a-attention."

Karin and Suigetsu turned to Sasuke.

"I- I… Sorry. I had a lot on my mind today.", he told her.

"I can't lose it! I'm- I won't be okay without it!" Sakura was getting frustrated.

"All right! I'll help you look for it." Sasuke stood up.

Karin stood up as well. "Maybe you dropped it somewhere around here but then it got moved around when Naruto was setting aside these tables.", supposed Karin as he looked down at Naruto who was leaning on the table fast asleep.

"Whoah.", Suigetsu chuckled. "Let's all calm down."

"I can't stay calm! I need those! Especially tonight!", she snapped. "How the hell am I supposed to- to… I need those!", Sakura frantically paced back and forth as she reached back and grabbed the ends of her pony tail. She pulled it forward and started fidgeting.

"Sheesh. You we'ren't lying were you.", realized Suigetsu. He sighed. "You were in the kitchen when I got here and you weren't wearing it then. I'll go check in there for you."

"T-Thank you!"

"Yeah. Whatever.", said Suigetsu as he went into the kitchen.

"Try and remember when and where you might've removed it because both certainly wouldn't have come off on their o- … T-Try to backtrack.", instructed Sasuke.

"I- I was up on the second floor! On the rooftop!", Sakura remembered. "I washed my uniform and hung it up to dry- I… washed my uniform. I- I- _I took a shower_! That's most probably when I removed it earlier. I'll check the bath!"

"I'll check the laundry room and the rooftop just in case.", Sasuke thought.

Sakura and Sasuke ran off leaving Karin and Naruto behind.

"Then, I guess I'll… stay here… and try looking… a bit… more." Karin's voice fades.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The door barges open as Sakura entered the bath room foyer. She checked the sink and the top of the dressing table. She also looked into each laundry basket and finally peeked into the bathroom. She looked all over the floor and even inside the tub but there was no sign of her hairclips.

She hurriedly walked out of the room and thought that maybe Sasuke had a better luck. On her way to the stairs, she passed by the men's changing room and saw Sasuke through the open door. He was searching inside his locker.

"S-Sasuke-kun?", she called him. "I thought you tried upstairs? Did you check there already?'

"I was… looking for a flashlight." He pulled one out from his locker. "I'm heading there now."

"I'll go with you."

"It… wasn't in the bath?"

Sakura shook her head.

"Okay. Let's try upstairs.", said sasuke then led the way up to the second floor.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura checked the laundry area first while Sasuke immediately proceeded to the roof deck.

She couldn't find her hairclips there so she moved on to help Sasuke search the deck.

**.**

**.**

**.**

She walked into the deck and passed Sasuke. She tried checking around the area where the clothesline was set up.

Maybe all the alcohol was finally getting into his head. Sasuke started moving slower until he finally stopped his half-hearted search.

He then turned to look at Sakura's back while his right hand was feeling for something inside his pocket.

"You don't need it.", he started. "You know it doesn't really do anything to help you right? You have to stop believing that-"

"Yes. I know.", said Sakura as she continued looking around. "I know that it's _just_ a hairclip. The charm was just a childish trick that Ino and I imagined. I know that it's only… _psychological_. Nevertheless, it was effective. It allowed me to believe in myself even when no one would. J-Just… knowing that I had it with me… It… gave me… courage to make decisions. It made me… capable of forgiving myself… for all my weaknesses and mistakes. It made me…"

Sakura stopped searching then.

She turned to look at Sasuke. "What I meant to say is- Whenever I felt judge or misunderstood, I held onto those hair clips to remind myself why I was in that position in the first place. Y-You know how sometimes you have to lie? Lie to yourself for the sake of others. Lie to others for the sake of yourself. Let others believe in those lies. Let yourself believe in your own lies because if not, then what was the point of lying in the first place."

_Those hair clips! It…_ It made me believe in my own pretence. In lies that would comfort me. It made me think that sometimes it's okay to run away from the truth. It helped me make selfish decisions and be stubborn enough to live with it despite knowing that I was doing something wrong, something I would regret because… I feel like… I was doing it for the right reason. And it was something I had to do no matter what."

Sasuke gripped what he had inside his pocket.

"Just like… like… when I had to pretend I hated Naruto because… of you. I was avoiding 'you'! Because when I first saw you, I- I… I thought that I might end up liking you. Liking the same boy that Ino liked."

"…?"

"But just when I thought that I successfully dodge the… the 'Sasuke-sexy-love-bug-spear' or so Ino called it.", she chuckled. "I… I realized too late that I was already a goner. It took one nod from you to make my heart skip a beat. Another nod and it made me want to become a part of your life. One syllable out of your mouth and it made me want to listen to your voice every single day. One smile and… I wanted to make you mine."

"Sakura..."

"It's been a long and hard struggle Sasuke-kun. Believe me when I say that I tried _everything_ to not be in this situation. I tried every possible way out of this scenario but in the end… here I am."

"S-"

"I… _love you_. I'm in love with you Sasuke-kun."

"Sakura. Y-You have Sasori."

"Sasori? S-Sasori's gone. He- He's gone. He left me for good."

"Because of me?"

"…"

"He's gone so now, you're coming after me?"

"No! I- I really love you. Weren't you listening? I've been in love with you for so long."

"Stop."

"Eh?"

"I- I can't-"

"E-Eh?"

"I'm sorry."

"…"

"I- I… N- I was going to ask Karin out."

"Karin?"

"Aa."

"But… I love you."

"She loves me too!" Sasuke said through greeted teeth. "For a lot longer than you have too. And... unlike you, she never thought of it as a struggle. Not even once. And in spite of what I've been through, she certainly didn't bother to find a way out of feeling that way about me."

"But I was- No, you're right and I was wrong. _So wrong_. But… I thought y- … You tried to kiss me."

"Y-You were… _vulnerable_. I- I'm just a man."

"But… all this time… You were so kind to me and…"

"I thought I could have my fun with you. That's all it was! I was… tired of my daily routine. I was bored and… Sure you help me with my problems along the way and I'm grateful but… seeing you fall emotionally apart was part of the game. I wanted to play with you until you couldn't hold out much longer. It took longer than I expected and I just got bored of you. But like I said, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. That's why I tried to let you off easily by slowly giving you space. This dinner was a sincere favor I wanted to ask of you _as a friend_ but, I made a mistake early this morning. Old habits die hard. It was a mistake. I knew I screwed up. It wasn't supposed to end like this. Three more weeks and we could've gone our separate ways peacefully."

-Sasuke's voice was shaking the whole time he spoke. He was also unable to look her straight in the eyes.

"That's… That's so _unfair_! You're so unfair!"

"Unfair?! Me?", he scoffed. "You're the one who keeps a boy at the side while you flirt with whoever you please. You bragged about your future with _Sasori_ while giving me mix signals. How did you think I took it?! I thought that you just wanted to _play_ too! Clearly, I was wrong. My bad! Good thing we haven't fucked yet, right? You get to walk away from this with a lot more than just your dignity intact-"

A piercing sound echoed throughout the deck as Sakura's hand collided with Sasuke's face.

Sasuke lick his bruised lips as he slowly turned back towards Sakura. He expected to see the face of a hurt and crying girl. Instead he saw a blank expression.

Sakura then turned away and started searching for her missing items again.

Sasuke watched her in remorse. He was finally going to take out what he had inside his pocket but then he noticed that Sakura froze in place. She suddenly looked guilt-ridden.

Sasuke was distressed to learn that someone else was there. He quickly looked behind him to check who Sakura was looking at.

...

Karin stood by the door. She had a painfully concerned, pitying look on her face.

"Karin?", said Sasuke.

…

Sakura then slowly walked passed Sasuke and moved towards Karin. She lowered her head as she walks by Karin.

"Sakura.", said Karin.

Sakura stopped and slowly turned to Karin with a now pained expression. "Karin.", she whimpered.

Karin was not sure how to feel about seeing Sakura cry miserably right in front of her.

Sakura stepped back and lowered her head in apology.

"S-Sakura?"

"C-Congratulions!", Sakura wept. She then pulled back right before Karin could touch her and turned away.

"Sakura!", yelled Karin as Sakura ran away from there as fast as she could.

**.**

**.**

**.**

She made a quick stop at her locker before heading for the exit.

"I can't find it anywhere Sakura,", Suigetsu told her when he saw her just outside the kitchen.

"S-Sorry. I'm really sorry. Thank you for… for trying to… for-"

"Hey. Don't cry! I'll try looking again! I'll do my best even if I have to turn this place upside down.", Suigetsu comforted her.

"I… I'm sorry!"

Sakura ran out through the service door.

"S-Sakura?!", he shouted.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Out of Otogakure and on to the sidewalk, Sakura ran without a care for anything or anyone around her.

…

She kept running even though she was out of breath and her right side started to hurt.

…

She ran until she found herself in a familiar place.

When she finally stopped, she heard nothing but her ragged breathing and the fast beating of her heart.

And then she heard something else.

She heard her phone vibrating inside her bag.

She ignored it and looked up at the sky that was supposed to be lighting up.

She felt a small drop of water on her cheeks.

Then she felt a few more.

The drops became a drizzle.

The drizzle becomes a rain.

She stayed in the rain even though the bus shelter was only a few feet away.

…

…

…

~ _5AM in the rain_

_Waiting for you to explain_

_Why you don't think you can stay_

_Why my world's just gone insane_

_I remember the first time we were here_

_You told me all your darkest fears_

_And I fell apart_

_I knew this was coming from day one_

_Back there in (September) when we'd just begun_

_I was right but I've never wanted to be so wrong_

_Why did you have to let me let you in?_

_I don't let many people under my skin_

_I know that this is for the best_

_But it doesn't hurt any less_

_But it doesn't hurt any less_

_People break each other's hearts_

_In their individual ways_

_You broke mine clean in half_

_When you let me stay_

_You made me feel so exposed_

_Asked for the feelings I held close_

_And I gave them away_

_I knew this was coming from day one_

_This was never love it was chaos_

_I was right but I've never wanted to be so wrong_

_Why did you have to let me let you in?_

_I don't let many people under my skin_

_I know that this is for the best_

_But it doesn't hurt any less_

_But it doesn't hurt any less_

_I'm not what you thought you wanted_

_But it was you who started this_

_I gave everything expecting nothing_

_But it doesn't hurt any less_

_You tell me you were mistaken_

_But you can't give back what you've taken_

_How does it feel to be keeping it all?_

_I can't see how there's a middle ground_

_I wanted you but I want nothing now_

_I think I'd rather take the fall_

_Why did you have to let me let you in?_

_I don't let many people under my skin_

_I know that this is for the best_

_But it doesn't hurt any less_

_But it doesn't hurt any less_

_I'm not what you thought you wanted_

_But it was you who started this_

_I gave everything expecting nothing_

_But it doesn't hurt any less_

_(HURT ANY LESS – Lauren Aquilina)_ ~

* * *

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

"Sakura! There you are!", Ino yelled, snapping Sakura out of her thoughts.

Sakura looked away from the fountain.

"Come. She's ready to see us.", Ino gestured for her to join her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Ino came across Naruto on their way to meet the bride.

Naruto had his chocolate brown tuxedo jacket hanging from his left arm. He was too focused on the task of adjusting his orange waistcoat and matching ascot tie that he didn't notice the two ladies ahead of him.

"Naruto~!", Ino called his attention.

Naruto raise his head ready to greet whoever called him. "Hey~ Ino- …" He did a double take. "Sakura-chan!"

Sakura and Ino grinned at him.

"Y-You're here!" Naruto approached them as he fiddled with his cufflink. "I'm so glad you made it!", he beamed.

"Yeah well… Ta-da~", Sakura tried to match his energy.

"She's gonna be so happy!" Naruto put his hands on Sakura's shoulder. "Thank you for coming. Thank you for doing this _for her_."

Sakura gave Naruto a weak but meaningful smile.

"We're actually on our way to see the bride now.", said Ino.

"Oh. I see. Great!", Naruto grinned. "We'll catch up later then. I gotta get ready myself."

"Okay.", Sakura nodded.

"We'll see you around Naruto.", bid Ino as they all went on their way.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Ino knocked on the door a few times before leaning closer on it. "Hey! It's me. I got Sakura here with me. We're coming in okay~", she announced.

Ino then opened the door and had Sakura follow her inside.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The make-up artist stepped away from the bride, revealing a red head who's looking at her reflection in the mirror.

The bride saw Sakura and Ino in the mirror and turned to look at them.

Karin was overjoyed. "Sakura! You made it!"

Sakura can be seen smiling back at her in the mirror.

Karin stood up and walked towards them until only a part of her black bathrobe is reflected.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_Noir_ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_TBC_ **


	33. 8.1

**(8.1)**

**OCEAN**

" ** _Just leave me alone already."_**

**_Noir_ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

A young woman with rose gold hair and green eyes - wearing a celadon silk empire waist dress - makes her way to the tent where everyone had gathered for the Wedding ceremony.

Sakura and her friends made their way to their seats.

She slows down when she spots Naruto up ahead.

He was up front, to the left of the altar, getting his video camera ready to record.

Naruto's head turns and she was prepared to smile at him as soon as their eyes meet but Naruto ended up looking at someone else.

Naruto smiled and nodded to someone across him on the altar.

Sakura's eyes darted towards the tall, elegant and handsome man dressed in his black tuxedo.

She subconsciously came to a full stop as she finally laid her eyes on Sasuke after a very long time.

The procession song starts playing in the back but her eyes were glued to him as he was giving himself one last look over.

Sasuke straightened his violet waistcoat and then his black suit jacket. He then glanced all the way to the back while adjusting his necktie. He did a double take when he saw her.

Sakura felt like her heart had stopped when his eyes were on her.

Ino had to pull Sakura to get her out of the way because the bride's entourage had started making their way down the aisle.

Sakura awkwardly stepped aside and lowered her head in embarrassment. She kept looking down that she only saw flashes of black and violet as the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked in pairs.

Ino elbowed Sakura after the ring bearer walks by.

Sakura straightens herself and looks at the aisle just as the flower girl came by. That's when she got a good look at how beautiful Karin was in her wedding dress.

Karin wore double layer wedding dress with simple but elegant violet accents on the waist area. The first layer was a strapless satin open back mermaid gown with a sweep train. The second layer was a high neck long sleeve lace dress with a court train. She had the one-tier blusher veil fixed just above her low bun.

With blushing cheeks and a gentle smile, Karin's beauty radiates.

Sakura can't help but be awed and happy for the bride.

Karin walked onward, accompanied by her father.

Her eyes trailed after Karin's back - All the way until the distance between her and Sasuke is reduced.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

Sasuke and Karin looked shocked the moment Sakura entered the break room. They were obviously not expecting to see her so soon.

"Good afternoon.", she greeted them nonchalantly.

"S-Sakura?", Karin murmured.

"You came?! Y-Y-", said Suigetsu as he walked in.

"Of course I did.", said Sakura matter of fact. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll just get ready for work."

Sakura left them and headed for the changing room.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Inside the changing room, Tayuya was putting on her uniform.

"Hey Sak-" Tayuya was dumbfounded as soon as she saw her. "What happened to your hair?!"

"Oh. I… got a haircut.", she answered while tucking a few strands of her now shoulder length hair behind her ear.

"Sakura.", Sasuke called her from outside. "A word. At the office. Now."

"Okay.", she yelled back.

"Are you in trouble? Did something happen?"

Sakura gave her a timid smile in response. She then made a move to place her things inside her locker before leaving the room.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Seeing Karin inside the office with Sasuke was no surprise.

"Did you want something?", she inquired with the same nonchalant tone she started with.

"Sakura.", Karin spoke first. "W-We're worried about you. It's okay for you to take a few days off. Actually…" she turned to glance at Sasuke. "It's okay if you… decide to… quit at this point.", she told her sensibly.

"Because of what happened this morning?", Sakura sounded upset.

…

"I'm not 'that' weak.", Sakura told them. "I've experienced rejection quite a few times you know. With my own parents. With the other kids back at my elementary school. With the other students at our current school. _Heck_ , you guys didn't even know about… about Sasori. That was two weeks ago. I can't help but feel like I'm being looked down at right now."

"But…" Karin looks to Sasuke for help.

"My confession aside…"

Sasuke and Karin looked at her again.

"I was serious about helping Sasuke-kun so… if it's up to me I would like to continue working here as I originally intended."

"But you-"

"I totally understand if you don't want me here. I'm sure that Karin is upset with me right now and-"

"That's not it!", Karin retorted. "I mean- _Yes_. I'm _upset_. Of course I'm upset with you. Why did you lie to me? To us? All this time?"

"I'm sorry."

"Drop it with the apologies already!", snapped Karin. "If you're doing it just so you can feel better about yourself then I don't want it!"

Sakura fell silent.

"Whatever!", Karin groaned frustratingly as she turned to Sasuke. "No one's really innocent anyway. I'm in no position to stay angry at you for keeping secrets. It's not like it's your fault you fell in love with Sasuke-kun either."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Karin then turned back to her. "If you think you're going to be all right here after all that's happened then suit yourself.", she told Sakura before walking out on them.

Sakura let out a sigh as soon as Karin was gone. She then turned back to Sasuke then lowered her head in apology. "About last night, I'm really sorry. Please forget about... everything."

"Sakura."

Sakura straightened herself. "It's just as you said, two more weeks. Let's just get through this."

"Why bother? You know it's never going to be the same."

"I don't have any ulterior motives. Just selfish reasons at this point.", she admitted. "It's for my own satisfaction. I just… want to finish what I started. After everything I've lo- … I just want to give myself the consolation of being able to see this through to the end. That's all."

"Fine. Do what you want."

"Thanks.", Sakura nodded at him before turning away.

"IF!"

Sakura stopped without looking back.

"If any of the following days, you decide to stop turning up here…"

…

"...No one's going to blame you."

"Uhn." Sakura left then.

What Sasuke was thinking or how he truly felt about her showing up remains unclear to Sakura. After all, she never looked directly at him the whole time.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Hours passed.

People came and went.

Naruto stopped by for a while. He might've said something about her hair, she wasn't really sure.

Suigetsu would come and talk to her every now and then.

Sakura got through that night like it was any other ordinary night except for the fact that she felt like she was deep under water.

Her mind was numb.

Her body moved on its own as if it was on auto-pilot.

Apart from the scripted smiles and greetings, she reacted minimally to her surroundings.

…

…

…

Before she knew it her shift was over. It was time to go home.

…

…

…

_~So vast, so free,_

_these deep blue waters drown me in jealousy._

_I lost my head,_

_somewhere between the surface and the sea bed._

_I'll stay beneath,_

_where my voice makes no noise, trapped in my body._

_But when I leave,_

_Well I know that one day it's an ocean I'll be.~_

…

…

…

Next morning, Sakura spent the day with Ino, Temari and Shikamaru. They had a picnic near the river.

Sakura and Ino stayed under the shade and took the time to finally get some studying done while Temari forced Shikamaru to help some kids who were having trouble flying their kite.

As soon as Shikamaru got their kite airborne, the kids were grateful and Temari compliments him making him bashful and irritated at the same time.

Sakura smiles at the sight but was anxious when she realized that Ino was looking at her worriedly. She gives Ino a timid smile in an attempt to reassure her that she's fine.

The blue sky turned to orange then turned to a dark blue.

…

…

…

_~And they call it freedom, how can it be?_

_When I live in a time zone unsuited to me._

_And they call it freedom, how can it be?_

_When we all follow patterns and live on repeat._

_We all follow patterns and live on repeat.~_

…

…

…

Next thing she knew, she was at work again.

Her surrounding was a blur. She felt like she wasn't part of the world anymore. Everything around her was moving too fast but at the same time, it wasn't fast enough.

Even when everything seemed like it was played fast forward, her days still felt too long.

Nonetheless, days passed and it passed monotonously.

…

…

…

Finally the week was over.

…

…

…

_~So vast, so free,_

_these deep blue waters drown me in jealousy.~_

…

…

…

On Sunday, she went out with her father to run some errand.

She runs into Rin, Sasuke and Karin in the grocery store.

Rin saw her and was unsure how to react.

Sakura smiled and waved at them before joining up with her father again.

…

…

…

_~I lost my head,_

_somewhere between the surface and the sea bed._

_I'll stay beneath,_

_where my voice makes no noise, trapped in my body.~_

…

…

…

Monday came.

She slept in and got out of bed when it's almost noon.

She had her cold breakfast alone then did her chores.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Later in the day, she came over to the Yamanaka's house. She helps Ino watch over the flower shop while they study.

**.**

**.**

**.**

She shows up at Otogakure for work.

She finds her new uniform inside her locker – a customized maid outfit and cat ears.

She sighed.

…

…

…

Hours passed.

People came and went.

Soon it was time to go home again.

…

…

…

_~And they call it freedom,_

_how can it be?_

_When we all follow patterns and live on repeat._

_We all follow patterns and live on repeat.~_

…

…

…

She slept in and got out of bed when it's almost noon.

She had her cold breakfast alone then did her chores.

**.**

**.**

**.**

When she came over to the flower shop, Ino had gone out.

**.**

**.**

**.**

She strolled around the shopping district for a while and ends up seeing Neji and Hinata along with her younger sister. Hinata invites her to join them but she kindly refused.

Next thing she knew she was on her way to work again.

**.**

**.**

**.**

At work; Hours passed.

People came and went.

Naruto stopped by for a while. At some point he complimented her clothes.

Karin came to the bar. They try their best to act like they're okay but Naruto could tell that they weren't.

The night eventually came to an end.

…

…

…

Days passed.

…

…

…

The week was coming to an end.

…

…

…

~ _But when I leave,_

_I know that one day it's an ocean I'll..._

_Well, I know that one day it's an ocean I'll be._

_(OCEAN - Lauren Aquilina)~_

…

…

…

Finally, it was Sunday.

…

…

…

Sakura enters the changing room and is greeted by an explosion of confetti.

"Thank you for your hard work!~", sang Tayuya and Kin Tsuchi.

"Err… Yes. Thank you for taking care of me." Sakura bowed in gratitude.

"What? That's it? Karin's reaction earlier was more emotional." Kin Tsuchi frowned.

"Sorry." Sakura then walked towards her locker.

"So~ Tomorrow. We're hanging out okay?", said Tayuya.

Sakura looked puzzled. "Huh?"

"We're gonna have a farewell party for you and Karin.", explained Kin Tsuchi.

"Karin said yes?", wondered Sakura.

"Of course she said yes.",

"Oh. Well… That's really nice but..."

"Come on! It'll just be us girls.", said Tayuya.

"Sorry. I already made plans."

"What? Seriously?!"

Sakura lowered her head in apology. "I'm really sorry."

"That's lame!"

"But you three go ahead and have fun tomorrow."

"But…"

"It's fine. I'm thankful enough that you thought of me. I'm really sorry I can't make it."

Tayuya let out a sigh while Kin Tsuchi looked disappointed.

"Okay.", said Kin Tsuchi. "But… if by any chance it's possible for you to join us, please do."

"Uhn." Sakura nodded.

"Well, then. This is bye I guess.", said Tayuya. "We'll see you when we see you."

"It's been fun having you around here. We're really going to miss you. Stay in touch okay?", added Kin Tsuchi.

Sakura smiled at them.

The two girls patted her on the shoulder before getting their things and leaving the room.

Sakura let out a sigh as soon as she was alone.

**.**

**.**

**.**

On her way to the kitchen, she ran into Kimimaru and Jugo.

"Thanks for your hard work.", they told her.

Sakura bowed to them. "Thanks for having me."

"Bye Sakura.", bid Kimimaru.

"Guess we'll see you around.", said Jugo.

"Yeah. Take care the both of you.", she responded. "And everyone else. Please tell them for me."

"We will.", said Jugo before he and Kimimaru left.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Yo!" Sakura peeked inside the kitchen.

Suigetsu looked away from the sink.

"Don't work too hard now."

Suigetsu put down the plate he was washing. "Yeah, you too. Stay out of troublesome situations."

"Hehe~ I'll try my best although I can't make any promises." Sakura waved at him. "Goodbye Sui. I wish you the best."

"Whatever! Get out of here already!" Suigetsu tried to act tough.

"So grumpy." Sakura pouted then smiled. "This could be the last time we'll see each other you know."

Suigetsu move towards her and placed his wet hands on the top of her head. "Everything we'll be okay."

"Eh?"

"You're gonna be fine. You'll see."

Sakura nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah."

Suigetsu grinned and ruffled her hair.

"Hey!"

He suddenly leaned closer. "You make sure your last words to _him_ count as well.", he whispered.

"What?"

Suigetsu quickly stepped back and moved away from her. "Go on. Get out of here!"

Sakura turned away in confusion when Suigetsu went back to washing the dishes.

And that's when she realized that Sasuke was right behind her.

"I'll walk you out."

Sakura lowered her head. "Okay."

**.**

**.**

**.**

The two of them made their way out of Otogakure silently.

**['Make the last words count huh?']**

When they were near the sidewalk, Sakura tried to say something but-

**/"I thought I could have my fun with you. That's all it was!…"/**

Sakura shakingly shut her mouth tight.

"Sakura.", Sasuke spoke.

She looked away.

Sasuke took the hint. Whatever he wanted to tell her, he shut it away.

…

A cab stopped in front of them and Sakura quickly got in.

Sasuke didn't bother waiting for the car to leave. He turned around and walked back towards the bar as soon as she shut the door.

The car drives away and she couldn't help but steal a last glance at him.

At his back.

…

**/"I thought that you just wanted to have fun too! Clearly, I was wrong. My bad! Good thing we haven't fucked yet right? You get to walk away from this with a lot more than just your dignity intact."/**

…

Sakura toughened herself and turned away.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Sunday-

It was half passed noon.

Sakura was lying down on the couch trying to take a nap. She wore a grey t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts.

The television was turned on even though no one was watching.

The old and worn out floor fan gave out loud noises as it swivels from side to side.

The noise her mother was making by washing the dishes in the kitchen could also be heard all the way to the living room.

Her phone that was on top of the coffee table suddenly vibrates.

Sakura turns to her side and hugged a pillow close to her face.

Noises overlap. The first noise to die down was the noise coming from the kitchen. It was then replaced by the sound of stomping feet getting relatively closer.

"Sakura!", called Mebuki as she walked into the living room. "Sakura! Your phone! I can hear it all the way to the kitchen."

"Let it go to voicemail.", she murmured.

The phone went silent.

Mebuki walked towards the television and turned it off.

The phone vibrates again.

"Sakura. Maybe it's important. What if it's an emergency?"

"Then they should be calling the hospital or their relatives instead.", she mumbled lazily.

"Don't be a smart ass young lady."

Sakura gave her mother no more response.

…

The phone went silent again.

Mebuki was on her way back to the kitchen when Sakura's phone vibrated again. She stopped and turned on her heel.

"Hello.", Mebuki answered the call.

"Okaasan!", Sakura turned around so quickly that she fell down on the floor.

"This is Sakura's phone. Who is this?", Mebuki asked the caller. "O-Orochimaru? Who are you?"

Sakura got on her feet and immediately took her phone back from her mother.

"Hello!"

"… _I would like to speak to Sakura please."_

"Yes! This is her. I mean, it's me Orochimaru-san.", said Sakura as she glared at her mother who was grinning victoriously as she went back to the kitchen. "H-how can I help you?"

" _Hi Sakura-chan. It's been a while."_

"Yes. Hi."

" _Kabuto-kun and I came back from our trip early this morning. I found out that Kin Tsuchi-chan and Tayuya-chan were supposed to throw some sort of farewell party for you and Karin-chan."_

"Y-Yes. But, I-" She tried to reach for her hairclips but then she remembered that she had lost it and threw her head back in frustration. "I... I... won't be able to make it though."

" _So I was told. You already made plans today right?"_

"Y-Yes Sir.", she lied. She balled her free hand into a fist.

" _Are you with anyone?"_

"No. J-Just me. Just running some back-to-school errand." Sakura pressed her lips together and started rubbing her temple.

" _Oh. Then, since you're already out somewhere around town, do you mind sparing me a few moments of your time?"_

"Eh?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura put on a long red and black flannel shirt over her grey t-shirt and made her way to the genkan.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"You're heading out?", wondered Kizashi as he came in from the door that was connected to the bath house.

"Yes but just for a bit.", answered Sakura as she was putting on her ankle boots.

"Okay. Be careful."

"Uhn." Sakura stood up and made sure she was comfortable in her shoes. "I'm off.", she told her father before making her way out of the door.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura entered the restaurant and looked around for Orochimaru.

She found him waving at her from a booth far in the back.

Sakura nodded at him and made her way to join him.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Good afternoon Sakura-chan. Please have a sit.", Orochimaru gestured for the seat in front of him.

"Thank you." Sakura sat down.

"Thank you for taking a moment from your busy schedule to see me Sakura-chan." Orochimaru smiled.

"Y-Yes. It's no p-problem at all." Sakura adjusted herself on her seat.

A waitress came by. "Are you ready to order?", she inquired.

"Yes. We'll both have green tea and… syrup-coated anko dumplings for the young lady over here.", Orochimaru told the waitress. "That would be all."

"That's two green tea and one order of syrup coated anko dumplings?", the waitress repeated the order.

Orochimaru nodded.

"Okay Sir. Please wait a moment. I will be back with your order soon."

"Thank you." Orochimaru smiled at the waitress.

"T-Thank you." Sakura followed suit.

The waitress bowed and took her leave.

"Err… How did you know that that's what I would order?", wondered Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun mentioned it was your favorite."

"Eh?"

"Once on my trip I called him to ask how everything was back here. It happened to be the same day I was shopping for some souvenirs to bring back for all of you. I jokingly asked him what your favourite food was. Apparently he had an answer so there was no need to ask you personally."

"Oh. H-He could've been wrong you know?"

"But he wasn't. Right?"

Sakura nodded. "Uhm. By the way, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Many things actually.", he admitted. "But I can't really disclose much. For Sasuke-kun's sake."

"That again." Sakura frowned.

"Ah yes. Suigetsu filled me in about what has happened over the weeks."

Sakura fell silent.

"You know, Sasuke-kun is very important to all of us at Otogakure. I'm sure that for his family and friends, Sasuke-kun leaving home was nothing but a stupid and reckless action. He put himself in unnecessary danger and hardships. Maybe it really was a mistake on his part but…

_We_ at Otogakure will always be grateful for that mistake. When Sasuke first found me, I was a miserable person. I was a frustrated musician who had to retire early due to an accident that took away my gift." Orochimaru looked down at his hands.

"These hands doesn't work the same way it used to. Even after so many surgeries and therapies, I just couldn't play like I used to. I was able to use them again to hold things, feed myself, get through every day like a normal person… I can even do tattoos but… I could never be as good as I was back then. With such skills, I couldn't possibly compete in the music world ever again."

"I-I'm sorry to hear that."

Orochimaru looked at Sakura again. "It took a while for the reality of my situation to sink in. By then, the bar was all that's left of me. But I couldn't afford to keep it open so I considered selling it. That's when Sasuke-kun found me. He- Let's just say, he… helped me in order to take a new direction with my life. I got my house back and as he suggested, I turned it into a dormitory. It was also his idea to let some music teachers rent my studio on the first floor for teaching purposes."

The waitress arrived and served them their tea and a plate of syrup-coated anko dumplings. "Enjoy.", said the waitress before excusing herself.

Orochimaru smiled at the waitress before resuming the story. "Then, he just started bringing in people that he found on the street to live with him in the dorm. The first ones; Tayuya-chan and Kin Tsuchi-chan. They almost gave in to prostitution just to be able to get through the previous school year. Lucky for them, they targeted Sasuke-kun first."

"Eh?" Sakura was taken aback.

"He ended up bringing them to the dorm and offering them an alternative. He told them that if they could bring in some tenants, I'd let them stay there for free during the first two months. They agreed.

Tayuya-chan brought her brother Jirobo-kun who brought some of his friends. Kin Tsuchi-chan brought Zaku-kun and Dosu-kun. All of them had a few quirks and didn't fit in no matter where they go so they had a hard time looking for a place to stay. We took them all in.

Kabuto-kun was also having trouble finding employment so I offered him a short-term job as the dorm's caretaker. He ended up liking working for me and stayed for good.

Of course, most of them had financial problems to begin with so it was only a matter of time before paying rent would become a problem for each and every one of them. But Sasuke-kun suggested another idea. That's when I re-opened the bar. Everyone agreed to stay in the dorm in exchange for working at the bar."

Soon, Sasuke-kun invited Jugo-kun to join us. He was always getting in trouble with people. Sasuke-kun thought he'd be a perfect bouncer. Jugo-kun said he'd only take the job if we also took in Kimimaru-kun. He was a very devoted friend to him. Of course we didn't have any trouble agreeing to his terms just as those two didn't have any trouble moving into the dorm with the rest of us.

Finally, there's Suigetsu-kun. He's a wise kid with a strong personality. But he lacks motivation and purpose. He can't find anything to be passionate about. He sees the world and life itself as a mundane thing. But when he met Sasuke-kun and heard his story, he changed. He doesn't really need to live in the dorm nor does he need to work for money. He just finds being with Sasuke-kun _special_ so he decided to follow him wherever he went."

Sakura was speechless.

"There's only a few of us who are able to witness Sasuke-kun's deeds. Only the few of us knows about the kindness he is capable of. One side of this story talks about a rebellious boy who closed his heart to the world when he lost what was most precious to him. But on the other side, is a boy who despite being angry, miserable and unhappy continuous to leave a mark on people's heart. Even if it's just a small mark. Even if there's only a few people who will see it. Even if most of them won't even be appreciative."

**['There was a time when I thought that way about him too but...']**

…

**/"I thought I could have my fun with you. That's all it was! I was… tired of my daily routine. I was bored and… Sure you help me with my problems along the way and I'm grateful but… seeing you fall emotionally apart was part of the game. I wanted to play with you until you couldn't hold out much longer. It took longer than I expected and I just got bored of you."/**

…

**['But I guess, to him that can be considered kindness…']**

…

**/"But like I said, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. That's why I tried to let you off easily by slowly giving you space. This dinner was a sincere favor I wanted to ask of you _as a friend_ but, I made a mistake early this morning. Old habits die hard. It was a mistake. I knew I screwed up. It wasn't supposed to end like this. Three more weeks and we could've gone our separate ways peacefully."/ **

…

**['Whatever… I'm sick of all of it. Just leave me alone already.']**

"W-Why are you telling me all of this now?", she asked him.

Orochimaru took out a box wrapped in brown paper and placed it on top of the table. It was approximately eight inches by four inches by one and three fourth inches.

"What is it?"

"A farewell present.", he answered.

"T-That's not necessary."

"After all that's happened… Maybe one day you'll look back to this day and feel like everything was just a waste of time. A wrong decision you made that lead to a very horrible consequence. You may come to regret it deeply."

**['One day?! I regret everything right now!']**

"But know this… All of us from Otogakure had always been aware of your desire to help Sasuke-kun.", he added. "We know you tried. Given what you know and what you were capable of, you reached out to him. For all the concern and… everything else that you have given Sasuke-kun we are truly grateful." Orochimaru lowered his head in gratitude.

"Please. Stop it. I… already told all of you, _it_ was all for my own selfish reasons. I- It was all for _me_. _For my own sake_. I don't deserve any of your gratitude." Sakura was frustrated.

"Then, for your own sake as well… Accept it.", he insisted.

"…?!"

"You might be angry at Sasuke-kun. You might be angry at yourself. Maybe you're angry at him and yourself. My suggestion… Keep this. Hold onto it but don't open it until you're ready to forgive whoever it is that you need to forgive. You'll understand when that time comes. I promise you… You won't regret it."

Orochimaru stood up. "Well then, it's been a wonderful pleasure meeting you Sakura-chan. Come and pay us a visit whenever you feel like it. Otogakure will be more than happy to welcome you any time."

He bowed to her one last time before leaving money on the table and making his way to the exit.

…

Sakura stared at the wrapped box in silent.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"He said that?!", pressed Ino.

"Yes.", answered Sakura.

"Well then, what are you going to do with it?" Ino glanced at the box.

She and Sakura sat crossed-legged on her bed. They were facing one another with the box placed right in between them.

"I'm... not sure. That's why I came here to ask you."

"Oh. I- I don't know Sakura, the last time I gave you an advice and you took it, it didn't exactly ended well for you-"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?! I blame myself. You wouldn't have been hurt so bad if I didn't convince you to go to Sasuke and tell him how you feel."

" _I_ decided to go to him and tell him how I feel.", Sakura reassured her. "I came to you because I needed to know that you had my back. Your support was what I needed at the time to become brave enough to do what I had already thought of doing. I had already considered telling him everything even before I went to see you remember? I- I… needed the push. I needed to know that I wasn't the only one who thinks that I… could compete against Karin."

"And you weren't."

"But... in the end, I wasn't good enough." Sakura shrugged.

"Aargh~!", Ino groaned in frustration. "Look at you! Look what Sasuke did to you. You cut your hair. You've lost a lot of weight. Y-You regressed back into this unconfident, self-loathing, depressed person. He ruined you!"

Ino got off of her bed and straightened her sleeveless denim shirt dress then reached for her phone that was on top of her desk. "Where's Sasori when you need him?! Why hasn't he called me back yet? I already told him what happened!"

"You told him?!", Sakura was distressed. "Why did you do that?"

"Why not?"

"Ino!"

"What?! I had to tell him that Sasuke didn't accept your confession and that he got another shot at you."

"What?! No!" Sakura threw her hand in the air. "No. Just No!"

"What do you mean no?! What's wrong with you?'

"Ino. Sasori- He… Remember what you said about how Sasori deserve to fall in love _for real_?"

Ino nodded.

"I agree. He does! He deserve so much better than me. So don't- Stop pushing the two of us together."

"But- R-Right. Sorry. Sorry if I'm often... _inconsistent_. Sometimes I just say what I feel you need to hear without really considering your situation. That makes me a 'horrible' friend now that I think about it."

"No you're not. Okay. Maybe _sometimes_."

Ino looked at Sakura as if she felt extremely offended.

…

Ino couldn't hold that expression for too long and the two girls ended up breaking into giggles.

Sakura shifted and laid down.

Ino set her phone down on the desk again before climbing back onto her bed and lying down beside Sakura.

"You know, maybe it's just as you said.", considered Ino.

"Hm."

"Maybe you just needed to know that I'm here for you. You had already considered keeping it didn't you?"

Sakura looked at the box.

"Yeah. I supposed I did.", she admitted.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	34. 8.2

**(8.2)**

**XXX**

" ** _You're all playing with me!"_**

Sakura and Ino ran up the stairs and through the hallway.

"Faster Ino-pig!" Sakura slowed down to wait for Ino. "I don't want to be late on the first day of the second semester!"

"I'm doing the best I can Forehead!" Ino quickened her pace.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The bell rings just as they entered the classroom.

"SAFE~!", they both yelled.

The two panting girls relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.

"What were you two in a hurry for?", said Tenten.

"Eh? The teacher isn't here yet.", noticed Ino. "Oh right. Kakashi-sensei is our current adviser."

"I forgot! He always came in late.", Sakura realized.

The students laughed at their expense.

"Good morning Sakura-chan!", Naruto beamed.

"G-Good morning.", Hinata followed suit.

Kakashi suddenly entered the room via the other door.

The students straightened themselves.

Sakura and Ino made their way to their seats as well.

"We're all here I presume.", said Kakashi as he walked towards the podium.

"Uchiha's not here yet though.", said Lee.

Sakura looked towards his empty seat.

Everyone in the room looked puzzled.

"Suddenly… That's... _odd_.", Choji remarked.

"Is he not coming today?", wondered Temari.

Naruto lowered his head.

Sakura caught his action and was rather confused. Then she realized that Ami, her friends and some other classmates were looking at her.

"Why are all of you looking at me?"

"Don't you usually call him to make sure he won't be late?", asked Neji.

"Huh? I…"

"Class Rep.", called Kakashi.

Shikamaru stood up. "Stand."

All the students complied.

"Bow.", said Shikamaru.

"Good morning Kakashi-sensei~", the students chorused as they bowed.

"Good morning.", Kakashi responded.

"Sit." Shikamaru announced and all the students took their seats.

"Okay. First, I welcome you all back to school… though I am quite sure that not a single one of you is eager to begin this semester as soon as possible."

The class sniggered and chuckled.

"Let's talk about… the result of your Finals. Well done everyone. The class average has definitely gone higher this time around. Let's congratulate our top students as usual."

The class clapped their hands.

"Let us also congratulate Temari and Tenten who showed a remarkable improvement.", continued Kakshi. "They are no longer in the bottom five."

The students applauded them.

Tenten placed her right hand at the back of his head and grinned at her classmates.

"Nice work.", Neji told her.

Temari just shrugged. But then she realized that Shikamaru was smiling at her so she winked at him.

Shikamaru was suddenly embarrassed and turned away.

Both Ino and Choji caught it and cooed.

"Two of you however still need to work harder." Lee and Uzumaki."

"YES SIR!", Lee boomed. "I'll keep working harder!"

Naruto just grinned apologetically.

Kakashi sighed. "Moving on… It's time to reshuffle the pairing."

There were mixed emotions among the students. Some students where excited and looking forward to the new pairing while others looked like they just wanted to quickly get it over with. Neji let out a sigh of relief. Tenten pouted as she waved goodbye to Ino dramatically. Ino played along with her drama. Shikamaru and Temari were trying to maintain their cool but both were frowning. Hinata looked the saddest while both Naruto and Lee somehow looked hopeful.

Sakura didn't have any reaction at all.

"Uzumaki. Lee." Kakashi handed them a new table chart to put up on the board. "You're the bottom two so~"

The two students complied.

"You already know the drill. This time it will be just the top two and the bottom two on the separate table.", announced Kakashi. "There are two of you tied in first place right? Hyuuga. Haruno. Which one of you will go first?"

Neji gestured for Sakura to take her pick first.

Sakura nodded at him and stood up. She then walked towards the board.

Kakashi handed her a marker.

Naruto and Lee seemed like they were praying as she was carefully considering where among the two cells she would write her name.

Sakura eventually made her choice and handed the marker back to Kakashi.

"All right. This means Hyuuga gets the remaining cell.", said Kakashi as he wrote Neji's name.

"Now onto the other table…

…

…

…

Okay. That's everyone." Kakashi put away his sharpie and made a move to reveal the results all in one go. "Here we go~!"

...

"Boo yah!", bellowed Naruto.

In front of him, Hinata lowered her head.

Lee sighed. "Oh well. Looks like it's you and me again, Neji."

Neji looked frustrated.

Everyone else looked for their names but Sakura looked for Sasuke's.

It wasn't there.

Sakura's initial reaction was to stand up. The noise made by her chair falling caught everyone's attention.

"Eh?" Ino sounded confused. "Shikamaru and I are both paired with Choji."

Kakashi cleared his throat and started scratching his nose. "By the way… I have an important announcement to tell everyone."

The whole class looked at Kakashi expectantly.

He placed both his hands inside his pocket. "This announcement is regarding Uchiha Sasuke."

There was a sharp pain in Sakura's chest. Something told her, she was not going to like what she was about to hear. She glanced at Naruto.

He was obviously upset about something.

Sakura turned back to Kakashi and found him looking at her in particular.

"Uchiha Sasuke is no longer a part of this class. He is no longer a student of Konoha High school."

"W-Why?!", Sakura implored. "H-He passed his exams! Was it the absences? No! That's impossible! I made sure he came to school as much as possible. There's no way-"

"Calm down Haruno.", Kakashi told her.

Ino pulled on her arm. "Sakura. T-Take a seat first."

Sakura looked around her and realized that everyone was looking at her.

Ino helped her pick up her seat.

"He's not in trouble.", Kakashi assured her as she was sitting down. "He… He just… Uchiha changed school."

"He transferred?" Sakura was baffled. "W-Why?!"

"His reasons are personal. We have to respect his privacy.", said Kakashi.

"But… that's…" Sakura looked at Naruto.

Naruto was looking at her but he immediately looked away to avoid eye contact.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "I know that the announcement came as a surprise. His 'leaving' left you with no time to properly adjust but… that's just how life is, _unpredictable_ … and out of your control. But everything will be fine. Uchiha is moving forward with his life and... so should all of you. Okay everyone?"

"Yes sir~" Everyone, except for Sakura, responded.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"That would be all for now. If any of you need me for anything, you'll know where to find me.", said Kakashi "Please use the remaining time for this period to get to know your new partners. I'll take my leave now. See you around everyone."

Kakashi made his way out of the classroom.

Naruto made a move to approach Sakura.

…

Sakura, who had been quiet and gloomy for a while now, suddenly stood up.

"S-Sakura? Is something the matter?", wondered Ino.

"Sensei!" Sakura quickly ran out of the classroom and went after Kakashi.

"Sakura-chan?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura eventually caught up to Kakashi. "K-Kakashi-sensei!", she called.

Kakashi slowed down and looked behind him. "Ah. Haruno. I knew you would come after me. Couldn't wait until after school?"

"Kakashi-sensei, I… I… need to know…", panted Sakura.

"Yes. Yes you do."

Sakura looked puzzled. "So, you'll tell me?"

"Indeed I will." Kakashi let Sakura follow him.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Kakashi and Sakura went into the empty faculty office.

He walked towards his desk and took his seat while Sakura closed the door behind her.

"Have a seat.", instructed Kakashi.

"Nevermind!" Sakura moved closer but remained standing. "Please. Just tell me!"

"Well, you probably already know this… Uchiha was... placed under the guardianship of his uncle. But… For quite a while now, his grandfather, who lives in Tokyo, had been making the necessary arrangement to adopt him and… only recently has it been made official."

That's when Sakura remembered Sasuke's words.

…

**/"I have accepted Grandfather's terms…"/**

…

"Was he asked to move to Tokyo with his grandfather?", inquired Sakura.

Kakashi shook his head. "He was asked to finish his studies… overseas."

Sakura felt her heart sink. "O-Overseas? But… Why all of a sudden? Why in the middle of the school year?"

Kakashi sighed. "Haruno… In some foreign countries, the school year begins on the month of September."

"But… that means… the previous semester was…"

"Unfortunately… the previous semester won't be credited."

"That makes no sense."

…

**/"Itachi died of Cancer in early March."/**

…

**/"My brother was adopted by my grandfather. He raised Itachi to become his heir but, now that he's also gone; my grandfather now expects me to fill the space that he had originally intended for him.**

**It's not such a bad thing really. It's just that... I'm not ready."/**

…

"Itachi died in early March and then… his grandfather turned to him instead. That was before the current school year began. Sasuke-kun seemed like he knew exactly what his grandfather wanted him to do. It's not that he didn't want to do it. He said he wasn't ready then. But he was... eventually going to. That would mean that he knew-" Sakura finally realized.

Kakashi nodded.

…

**/"Uchiha is going through rough times in his life. He's making compromises and it's affecting his attendance in school. At this rate, he may not make it through to the second term- No. I'm absolutely positive, he won't be here come second term."/**

**/"But if you're so sure he can't stay in school, why not just _drop_ him?"/**

**/"I can't drop a student based on… _conjecture_ , no matter how positive I am of it. He either has to have enough absences to qualify him as a drop out or formally announce it himself…. Just do as I say. Trust me Haruno. All I want is for Uchiha to at least finish this term."/**

…

"You knew that… Sasuke-kun knew… long before the previous semester started, that he would be sent overseas. Why did he still go to school then? Why did his uncle allow it? Why did you allow it?"

"Naruto. Karin. M-Maybe… he _was_ looking for a chance to patch things up with Naruto all along. Or maybe he just wanted to see as much of his friends before he leaves. Who knows?...

…

**/"D-Do you hate Naruto?"/**

**/"No."/**

**/"Then why don't the two of you just reconcile? He doesn't seem to hate you either. If anything, he seemed really worried about you."/**

**/"Believe it or not, we've already reconciled. We just can't go back to the way we were."/**

…

…Whatever his reason was for attending school back then was the least of our concern. This was the only place they could keep in contact with him after he refused to go home since he had _that 'talk'_ with his grandfather.", explained Kakashi. "I couldn't possibly tell him to stop coming here. All I could do was make sure that it was possible for him to be here as long as he could. Hence, the infamous special-treatment-misunderstanding all the students were on about."

Sakura stepped back slowly. "Then that means…

…

**/"Haruno. Give up on me."/**

**/"What?"/**

**/"I don't need help."/**

**/"Look. I obviously don't know anything about you. Or what happened between you and Naruto-"/**

**/"That's right. You don't know anything."/**

**/"I'm going to be blunt and insensitive with you! I'll be the one to tell you that whatever problem you're facing right now, you're being stupid about it, trying to face it all alone! You need someone to pull you in the right direction and it's going to be me. I'll pull you. And I'll keep pulling you until I get you out of whatever hell you think you're in!**

**I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid to be hated by you. You'd be just another name in a very long list. So… I take back what I said earlier… Don't love me! We don't have to be friends. But let me help you!"/**

**/"Wow. You _are_ selfish after all."/**

**/"That's right! I'm selfish! I do what I want! And right now… I want to help you! I don't want to give up on you! I can't just look away from this. I can't leave you alone anymore. Not after hearing all that! Not after… How can I possibly abandon someone who made that sort of face the moment he realized he had hurt someone?!"/**

**/"You really are annoying."/**

…

**['That would only mean that…']**

…

**/"So, you were at school after all. Were you here the whole time?"/**

**/"I just got here."/**

…

**/"Oh. So you were gonna do the homework too?!... You go ahead and use it first."/**

…

**/"You borrowed this from the Library yesterday and you're supposed to return it not later than today."/**

**/"Aa."/**

**/"Uhm... Next time! ... Next time let's do the homework together okay?"/**

**/"Aa."/**

…

**['He was only…']**

…

**/"So what's it like to teach Sasuke?"/**

**/"Sasuke-kun is actually pretty smart. He learns fast. He's already caught up to the current lesson. There's nothing left to work on. If he keeps this up, I'm sure he'll do well on the Finals."/**

…

**/"Sasuke did it!"/**

**/"Ino! What?! What did Sasuke-kun do?!"/**

**/"FOREHEAD! He did it! I'm not sure how Sasuke pulled it off but he got eight place."/**

…

"Kakashi-sensei, was Sasuke-kun just… Did he do all that just to humor me?

**['Then, what he said was true after all.']**

…

**/"I thought I could have my fun with you. That's all it was!"/**

…

…A-All this time… Is that all it was?", wondered Sakura.

" _You_ tell us! _Is that all_ it really seemed like to you?"

Sakura turned around and realized that Karin had joined them. "Karin?"

"Naruto sent me a message.", said Karin as she stepped aside to allow Rin to get in as well.

Rin then closed the door behind her. "Now, now Kakashi. That's very sneaky of you. You didn't plan on telling her everything yourself now did you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about.", Kakashi fainted innocence. "I was simply explaining to her why her class partner is no longer here despite her efforts to keep him from dropping out of school."

"W-What is going on here?" Sakura was frustrated. "What is wrong with all of you?! Everybody knows something I don't! Everybody is… You're all playing with me!"

Sakura ran out of the office.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura ended up in the roof deck.

She soon noticed that Karin went after her.

"You didn't answer my question.", said Karin. "Is that really all Sasuke seemed like to you?"

Sakura refused to answer her and walked towards the metal fencing without even sparing her a look. She then held onto the chain link fence.

Karin joined her. She then turned on her heel and leaned her back on the fence. "I know what you feel like. I also didn't know anything until… until that night. And even after Sasuke-kun told me _everything_ , it didn't make me the least bit happy. If anything… I felt… powerless and so unimportant. There's nothing worse than knowing something _sad_ is about to happen but… you can't do anything to stop it. No matter how much you wish for things to be… different, nothing can be done about it. His mind was made up. There was nothing I can say or do to change that."

Sakura finally looked at Karin.

**['If anyone is devastated by Sasuke-kun leaving, it's her. After all…']**

…

**/"I was going to ask Karin out."/**

…

"He shouldn't have bothered to ask you out if he was going to leave you eventually.", Sakura told Karin. "Did he really think that he was doing you a favor by spending what little time he had left here in Japan with you? That's just… so selfish."

"About that… We 'didn't' go out.", Karin said nonchalantly.

"...?" Sakura was confused.

"He didn't ask me... to go out with him.", Karin admitted.

"EH?!"

"Sasuke-kun values his friendship with Naruto the most. Whenever Sasuke-kun looked my way, it's only because Naruto told him to. You know… I allowed myself to chase after him all this time but, in all honesty… there was never really an end goal. I've always known that at the end of this chase, there was only a _dead end_ waiting for me. He was not into me nor will he ever be."

"But… he said- What if…

…

**/"She loves me too. For a lot longer than you have too. And unlike you, she never thought of it as a struggle. Not even once. And in spite of what I've been through, she certainly didn't bother to find a way out of feeling that way about me."/**

…

… He _really_ loves you?", considered Sakura. "He knows how much you love him. He-"

"He's not-" Karin shook her head. "...with me. He was really in love though… with the idea of love that is."

Karin smiled at Sakura. "You see, he met this girl who he couldn't win against. He couldn't shake her off so in the end, he just gave in to all her selfish demands. The secret to her persuasive powers; She was extremely driven by her romantic endeavors. _She_ somehow convinced him how wonderful being in love was."

Sakura fell silent.

"So, I'll ask you again… Did Sasuke-kun really seem like he was just doing it all to humor you?"

Sakura moved away from Karin. "But… he said-"

"I know what he said. I heard everything he told you that night. But do you really believe that?"

"I…" Sakura took another step back.

"You know the answer."

Sakura looked away. "No. I don't. I don't know anything."

"I see." Karin sighed in disappointment then took an item out of her pocket. "Then maybe this will help clear things up for you."

Sakura was very familiar with that item. "That's…"

"I'll leave this with you." Karin handed her the letter that Ami once left inside Sasuke's locker. "I'll go back to class now. Later."

Sakura watched Karin leave before taking a look at the letter that Sasuke had eagerly kept her from reading before.

…

…

…


	35. 8.3

**(8.3)**

**LOW**

" ** _He's gone now."_**

…

…

…

'THE PREVIOUS LETTER WAS YOUR LAST WARNING

HOPE THAT UGLY BITCH WAS WORTH IT

DON'T KEEP MY GUY WAITING

IF YOU DON'T COME TO HIM HE WILL COME TO HER

HE IS JUST DYING TO MAKE HER FEEL AS UNATTRACTIVE AS YOU MADE ME'

…

"This is…"

Sakura re-read the letter.

…

**/"Sakura-chan. Ino-san is not here with you? … So you're now brave enough to talk to me like that even without Ino by your side. My, how you've grown. Your hair's longer too. But you're still as ugly as ever!"/**

**/"The only one making an unattractive face right now is you."/**

**/"D- Did you just call me ugly?! Do you have any idea who I am?! Who my boyfriend is?!"/**

**/"Hn. Someone who's neither a certain Hyuuga nor a certain Uzumaki, unfortunately."/**

**/"Y- You heard that?! … Fuck you Uchiha! You're nothing!"/**

**/"You and I aren't done yet."/**

…

**/"You don't have to do this every time you know. You don't have to wait with me until the bus gets here. Don't you have to take a nap before you go to your night job?"/**

**/"I'm just making sure you go home and don't follow me back to mine."/**

**/"What?! I would never! Hmp! And all this time I thought you were just trying to be nice."/**

**/"Sakura… Get home safe."/**

…

Sakura remembered how she would often see Ami and her friends hanging around the convenience store across the overpass that wasn't far from the bus shelter.

…

**/['Those girls are everywhere.']/**

…

**/"What are you doing out this late? And… in only that?"/**

**/"I- I was just with Ino. Then, I decided to buy some... stuff before I go home."/**

**/"I- I gotta get home… Goodnight."/**

**/"I'll walk you to the bus stop."/**

**/"No! There's no need to. I'm-"/**

**/** " **I can tell you want to be alone right now. But you don't have the right to ask me to take a hint and leave you be."/**

…

**/"You're walking her to the bus stop right?"/**

(Sasuke nodded at Ino then turned away.)

…

**/"Sasuke-kun! … Sasuke-kun! … If you're in such a hurry then don't bother! Just go home-"/**

(Sasuke suddenly stopped…)

…

**/"Where exactly did Karin bring you that she had to asked you to change out of your uniform?"/**

**/"To a Karaoke bar… where Ami was supposed to meet her boyfriend after he beats you up."/**

**/"You confronted her?! … What was Karin thinking? And why did you go along with it?"/**

**/"I... I had to confront her at some point. And Karin created the opportunity to do just that. She had to stop. Whatever problem she had with me, she shouldn't have gotten other people involved. And why didn't you tell me that she was the one who wrote that letter? You could've gotten seriously hurt because of me-"/**

**/"Was it just your group and hers?"/**

**/"There were a bunch of boys there with her-"/**

**/"Sa-Sasuke-kun?"/**

**/"Are you really okay? Did anyone hurt you?!"/**

**/"I'm fine! None of us got hurt. Temari scared them off. They ran as soon as they learned that she was from the Sabaku clan-"/**

**/"But what if that wasn't enough?! … What if who she was, hadn't meant anything to them?! What if there was no one there who could stop them from harming any of you?!"/**

…

Sakura's hand was shaking as she read the letter over and over.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura looked up. "Naruto."

"Ino went looking for you. Were you up here all morning?"

Sakura nodded then lowered her head down to her knees again.

"Erm… Here." Naruto raised the plastic bag he had with him. "Want to have lunch together?"

"No. Thank you. I'm not hungry."

"Oh… Uhm… C-Can I eat it then?"

"Go ahead."

Naruto sat down on the floor beside Sakura.

"Erm… I'm just gonna scoot a little bit closer so I can also stay under the shade okay?" He then moved closer to Sakura then leaned his back on the wall. "There. Much better. Hm~ This isn't so bad. I totally understand why you'd feel like this is such a nice place to hang out. Sure you're not hungry?"

Sakura gave no response.

"Okay then." Naruto started eating bread. "You know Sakura-chan-"

"Naruto?"

"Yes!"

"Tell me something."

"Err…"

"That afternoon that Sasuke-kun was brought to the infirmary… Did he- Did he ask you to walk me to the bus shelter?"

"Y-Yeah."

"I… see. I... thought so."

"Funny you should mention that time… actually… Sakura-chan… The thing is…"

Sakura looked up again and turned to Naruto.

Naruto blushed at their proximity. "I- I… S-Sakura-chan… Back then… I was actually planning to tell you that…"

"What is it?" Sakura had a blank expression.

"D-Do you remember when I talked about meeting you for the first time? Back when we were still kids. Near the… Near the hospital?"

"What about it?"

"The park near the hospital. Behind it there is a… pond."

"…"

"E-Eleven years ago, you saved a boy who drowned in that pond. Y-You performed CPR and resuscitated him back to life. That… boy was… _me_."

Sakura's eyes widened.

…

**..**

**.**

Eight years old Sakura kept her head low as she made her way to an empty playground near Uzumaki General Hospital. She sniffed and rubbed the back of his hand along her eyes.

**['Okaasan no baka!']**

She looked up at the orange sky - nose red, eyes wet and right cheek swollen.

...

_("Dobe!")_

-she heard a distant voice cry out.

"Who's there?!", she yelled as she looked around the playground.

She saw no one.

_("Dobe!")_

-she heard it again.

"W-Where are you?!" She looked around again trying to pinpoint where the disembodied voice was coming from.

_("Oi! Wake up you loser!")_

-came the seemingly wobbly voice again.

Sakura walked towards and beyond the trees.

_("Dobe! Wake up! Hurry up and open your eyes!")_

-the voice was getting louder and clearer.

Sakura was now sure that whoever was shouting was extremely distressed so she quickened her pace.

On the other side of the park, she saw the stairs that lead down to a pond.

She approached the stairs and saw two boys around her age down, near the pond.

Sasuke and Naruto were soaking wet. Naruto lay still on the grass while Sasuke was trying to shake the seemingly unconscious boy awake.

"I said, wake up! Idiot! Wake up already!", said Sasuke as he slammed his fist on his unconscious friend's chest - hard.

He then attempted to give his friend CPR.

And that's when Sakura knew what was really going on so she quickly descended the stairs.

"You're doing it wrong!", she yelled at Sasuke as she ran towards them. "That's not how you perform CPR!"

"Do you know how to do it better then?!", Sasuke yelled back at her. "Who are you anyway?!"

Sakura ignored his question. "Get back!", she instructed as she got closer to them

He backed away and Sakura kneeled down beside the unconscious boy. Sakura placed one hand on his forehead and put her fingers under his chin. He then tilted the boys head backwards and leaned her ear close to his mouth.

"The hospital is just close. Hurry up and call for help!", she told Sasuke as she drew herself back.

"But, I don't want to leave him alone."

Sakura pinched the boy's nose and opened his mouth.

Sasuke watched her as she covered Naruto's mouth with her own.

Sakura gave him one slow breath until he saw his chest gently rise a little.

"Dobe!", called Sasuke..

She pushed herself up to check him. But he was still not breathing.

"One... two... three", she counted then gave him another breath.

After checking him again for signs of life, she placed the heel of her hands above Naruto's sternum. She then started counting as she pressed down gently.

"...nineteen... Don't... just... stand... there... twenty four... twenty five...", she told Sasuke. "Twenty six… Get help! Twenty eight... twenty nine… thirty."

Sasuke quickly ran towards the stairs as Sakura gave the unconscious boy another breath.

She repeated the process.

~BLAAACH, BWEHH, Uggh-huggh, Uggh-huggh, Uggh-huggh~

"It worked!", Sakura beamed. "He's breathing! I did it! I actually did it."

...

Sasuke was already at the top of the stairs when he heard Naruto coughing. He stopped and looked back.

...

Naruto turned to his right as he emptied his lungs of water.

"Are you okay?", Sakura asked him.

Gasping for breath, Naruto laid his head back on the grass and sniffed. "What? What happened?", he said weakly as he glanced at Sakura.

"DOBE!", yelled Sasuke as he ran back to them.

Naruto seemed like he suddenly remembered something important. "TEME! You dummy!"

Sakura had to move back as Naruto suddenly shot himself up.

"TEME! I'm coming! I'll save you!" Naruto stood up and tried to run back to the water.

"Hey!", Sakura shouted. "Stop right there! I just got you to breathe again!"

Naruto realized he was still weak and collapsed down on the ground.

"A-Are you okay?", asked Sakura.

"Leave me alone!", Naruto sneered at her. "Teme! I need to save my friend! He's drowning."

"I'm right here Dobe!", Sasuke alerted him.

"Teme?"Naruto turned to Sasuke. "Y-You're okay?"

"Aa."

"W-Why did you do that Teme?!" Naruto found his strength again and jumped on Sasuke.

Sasuke grunted as his back hit the ground and he felt Naruto's weight on top of him.

Naruto grabbed him by his collar. "Why did you try to drown yourself?"

"Eh?!", Sakura was shocked.

"I didn't try to drown myself!" Sasuke wrestled his way out from under Naruto.

Naruto put up a fight. "But I saw you jumped into that pond. You didn't resurface."

"I wanted to see how long I could hold my breath."

"Liar!"

"Excuse me but… you really shouldn't be moving about just yet.", said Sakura

Both boys turned to her.

"Who are you?", wondered Naruto.

"I…"

"She saved your life idiot!", said Sasuke.

"Saved me?" Naruto was confused. "How? When did I need saving?"

"Idiot!" Sasuke finally pushed him off. "You jumped into the water after me even though you don't know how to swim. The one who ended up drowning is _you_. I pulled you out of the pond and she did mouth to mouth on you!"

"M-Mouth to mouth?!" Naruto blushed as looked at Sakura. "So… You and I k-k-kissed?"

"What?! No!" sakura retorted. "That was not a kiss! That was just CPR! CPR! C!P!R!"

"R-Right.", Naruto straightened himself and bowed to her. "T-Thanks for saving me."

"Yeah well. You're lucky I remembered how to do it just from reading it in a book."

"R-Really?! You're amazing!"

Sakura was a bit embarrassed with the praise. "Oh. That's nothing!"

"That was the first time for you then?"

"Yeah."

"I'm your first kiss!" Naruto said bashfully as he pointed a finger at himself.

A vein popped in Sakura's forehead. She narrowed her eyes at Naruto. "If you call it a kiss one more time, I'll throw you back into the water."

"I won't! I won't! I'm sorry!" Naruto ran behind Sasuke.

_("Sakura!")_

-they suddenly heard a voice calling out loud.

The three of them whipped their heads towards the top of the stairs and saw a blonde girl around their age and an older boy with ginger hair.

"There she is!", the older boy pointed towards them.

"Forehead?!", the blonde girl called her as she ran down the stairs.

"Ino! Sasori!" Sakura waved at them."

Sakura's friends descended the stairs.

"What's going on here? Who are they?", wondered Ino.

Before Sakura could explain what had happened, a nurse appeared at the top of the stairs.

"YOU TWO!", she yelled.

Naruto and Sasuke were suddenly restless.

"What are the both of you doing down here?!" The nurse implored as she walked down the stairs. "You're both soaking wet!"

The nurse paused when she saw Ino "Aren't you… Yamanaka-"

Sasuke and Naruto panicked when they heard the name. The two of them suddenly scrambled up the stairs."

"HEY! YOU TWO!", yelled the Nurse as she went after them. "WAIT FOR ME!"

Sakura and her friends were left alone by the pond.

…

**.**

**..**

…

"It _was_ you!" Sakura recalled.

"Yeah."

"Didn't you said you didn't remember?"

"I… I lied."

Sakura wrinkled her forehead. "Why?"

"I wasn't ready to tell you then."

"You weren't ready to tell me that you were the boy I once saved?"

"No. I wasn't ready to tell you that I couldn't get you out of my mind ever since-"

"…"

Naruto shot himself up from the floor. "W-What I meant is… You… You're my hero. Y-You… You're my number one. I… I've admired you ever since and… I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Naruto?"

Naruto started to fidget. "But… I never got the chance to speak with you again and I was starting to lose all hope. So I was really happy when I found out that we were going to the same high school. I… I tried to get close to you but… Sasori… _But then_ … you said that you two are just childhood friends so I… I thought maybe… I could finally… I could finally tell you how I really feel about you."

Sakura slowly stood up.

…

"Sakura-chan. I…" Naruto mustered the strength to tell her. "I like you!"

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Huh?"

"Did he… know?"

"…"

"Of course he did.", Sakura concluded.

…

**/"Kakashi asked you not to bother with me. He didn't ask you that for my sake. If it weren't you-**

… **You're worried about the wrong person."/**

**/"Huh?!"/**

**/"Naruto's the one who's... lonely. He's the one y- everyone should be worried about."/**

**/"What do you mean he's lonely?"/**

**/"He's surrounded by people who love and respect him but- Let's just say he acts as if he's got everything he ever wanted but that's not true at all. ... I... I've said too much."/**

…

**/"Eh?! So Naruto can read the letter but I can't?!"/**

**/"Yes. Because he's my best friend… and I'd let him know first-hand before I make a move on a girl or accept one's confession."/**

…

**/"Sasuke values his friendship with Naruto the most."/**

…

"Of course he _knew_." Sakura let out a heavy sigh.

Naruto looked dejected. "Sasuke huh?"

Sakura was unable to look at Naruto. "Ino liked him back in freshman year so… I thought it was best if I avoided him. That's why… I avoided you too."

"I guess I've always known."

Sakura looked at Naruto again.

Naruto smiled painfully at her. "Sasuke was the first friend I ever made. For once in my life, I had something to look forward to everyday. Playing. Goofing around. It made me really happy when he told me that I was his best friend.

But my idea of friendship was self centered and possessive. It was always about me. My fight. My dreams. My goals. My life. And his role was… to always just… _be there_. I'm the one who wanted to eat Ramen every day for lunch… I'm the one who wanted to learn Krav Maga… I'm the one who wanted to be a soldier when I grow up… I'm the one who wanted to be brothers. I- I… I'm the one who wanted to ask _you_ out."

Sakura lowered her head.

"That guy! He keeps doing this… He keeps giving and… I'm always taking. Were both idiots. We're both really _big idiots_!" Naruto turned away from Sakura and looked up at the sky. "But he's definitely the bigger idiot. He's the biggest idiot of them all. What was he thinking letting go of his chance to be with you just like that."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.", she told him.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura found Ino near the soccer field.

She quickly made her way down to her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sakura? There you are! I've been looki-"

"Ino~" Sakura couldn't hold her tears back anymore.

Ino moved closer and allowed Sakura to cry on her shoulders. "T-There, there." she started rubbing Sakura's back. "I-It's okay. It's gonna be fine."

…

**['Was it true or was it all just a lie? None of that matters anymore. He's gone now.']**

…

…

…

_~Been shut down one too many times_

_I'm embedded in the ground_

_These critics don't know how to lie_

_I just wish I could mute all their mouths_

_And I know, we all get low_

_But I don't know how I'm gonna get up from this one_

_I really don't_

_The peaks and troughs they hit us all_

_We all live in the waves we've created_

_Wouldn't know we're flying without the falls_

_But I'm underground screaming for something_

_And I know, we all get low_

_But I don't know how I'm gonna get up from this one_

_No I don't know how I'm gonna get up from this one_

_No I don't know how I'm gonna get up from this one_

_I really don't_

_Too deep to see the waterline_

_Too young to know that I'll be fine_

_The fragile always fall apart_

_You made my ache your art_

_Too deep to see the waterline_

_Too young to know that I'll be fine_

_The fragile always fall apart_

_You made my ache your art_

_And I know, we all get low_

_But I don't know how I'm gonna get up from this one_

_No I don't know how I'm gonna get up from this one_

_I really don't_

_I really don't_

_(LOW - Lauren Aquilina)~_

**.**

**.**

**.**

Mebuki barged into Sakura's bedroom. "Sakura! Sakura!"

Sakura lazily peeked from under her covers. "Okaasan~ I already told you I'm not going to school today.", she mumbled.

"Get up!"

"I haven't been feeling well since Tuesday. I can't endure another day."

"I said Get up!"

"It's a Saturday anyway. Just let me rest."

"There's a woman looking for you outside. She's very eager to meet you."

"A woman? Who?"

"She told me to call her Dr. Tsunade."

"I don't know anyone by that name."

"She says she's the Chief Surgeon at… Senju Hospital."

"S-Senju Hospital? That's the biggest hospital in Tokyo!" Sakura sat up. "Dr. Tsunade you say?! The Dr. Senju Tsunade?! She's here at our house? Why is she here at our house?"

"She said she's here to talk about your apprenticeship application." Mebuki put her hands on her waist. "When did you apply for such a thing? And when were you going to tell me and your father about it?"

"Application? Apprenticeship? I don't recall… I never applied for anything."

"What? But clearly she said… Anyway just get up already. Get dress. Make yourself presentable then come down. We can't keep her waiting too long especially if this is only some sort of misunderstanding.", said Mebuki as she walked to the door.

Sakura quickly got out of bed.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Ah there she is." Mebuki had a huge smile plastered on her face as Sakura made her way into the living room.

Sakura found Tsunade standing in the corner of the room near the window. The blonde woman turned to her and removed her aviator sunglasses. "Finally."

"Good morning.", Sakura greeted the woman

"Good morning?!", Tsunade scoffed and showed Sakura her expensive time piece. "Miss Haruno it is past noon."

"Erm…"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is for me, the chief surgeon of the biggest and most prominent hospital in Tokyo, to get a chance to take time off my very busy schedule?"

"I…"

Tsunade placed her sunglasses inside the pocket of her coat. "I came all the way from Tokyo, right after a twenty two hours surgery, just to see _you_ because this is the only day that I will be available before I get thrown into another _indefinite_ long shift in the hospital. I went to your school and learned that you weren't there because you called in sick. And here I am looking at you… and you're obviously _not_ sick."

Sakura and her mother exchange looks at one another.

"You either lied or… you made a wrong diagnosis about your own condition. Either ways I'm disappointed." Tsunade studied Sakura. "I can't believe I'm looking at the girl that _, people with unquestionable credibility had confidently said_ … would be qualified to be my apprentice. So, which one was it? A lie or a wrong call? Answer me so I know what to tell the people who blindly believed in you, why this was nothing but a waste of my time."

Sakura tried to remain civil to their guess despite being furious. "Neither.", she answered confidently.

Tsunade cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I told my mother that I couldn't go to school because I wasn't feeling well. And I'm not. I am not at full health. I am currently suffering from an overabundance of cortisol. Too much blood is going through my muscles, causing them to tense up, ostensibly for swift action. However, my dopamine levels are low. As a result, I am plagued with swollen muscles causing headaches, a stiff neck and an awful squeezing sensation in my chest."

Mebuki was dumfounded. "What? I-Is that serious? Are you okay?"

"No mom. I'm not okay! I… I'm broken-hearted!"

"B-Brokenhearted?!"

Tsunade chortled and clapped her hands. "Overabundance of cortisol. Low levels of Dopamine. That is just… Well played Miss Haruno. Well played. But, being a smartass can only get you so far."

Tsunade was serious again. "Basically you are just experiencing depression and anxiety. All due to being… 'Broken-hearted'. _Wonderful!_ You know, I was told that you were smart and talented but still eager to learn and grow more. Someone who won't crack under pressure. Yet here you are… shutting yourself inside your room _because a boy what? Dumped? Rejected you?_ "

Sakura remained unfazed by Tsunade's words.

"Do you know how much women are looked down upon in my profession? For female doctors to survive the discrimination, they need to prove that they can maintain and rise up to their career paths. If they can accommodate other responsibilities outside of their career then, that's even more commendable. My advice to you… If you really want to become a doctor, then… stop wasting your time playing the role of a patient." Tsunade walked pass her on her way to the exit. "Especially one with an imaginary illness."

"I hope you don't seriously mean that.", said Sakura.

Tsunade stopped and looked at her again. "Excuse me."

"If you consider a broken-heart not a real illness, then you must've loss a number of patients to takotsubo cardiomyopathy thinking that they were making up their symptoms."

...

"Hm." Tsunade smiled. "That's the right response. Congratulations. You passed."

"Eh?" Sakura was confused.

"She did?", wondered Mebuki.

Tsunade walked towards Sakura. "I do this to everyone who asked me to be my apprentice. I intimidate them and throw in a lot of insults. The reaction I often get is crying and/or begging. But she didn't have time to do that. Her initial reaction was to point out my false take on broken heart syndrome."

"That's… good _right_?", asked Mebuki.

"Very good.", said Tsunade.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	36. 8.4

**(8.4)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _Why did you do it?"_**

Tsunade and Sakura took their seat in the living room while Mebuki prepared tea.

"I am a perfectionist.", Tsunade started. "I am very demanding and hot tempered. I have no patience for wannabe doctors who expects to be spoon-feed during their formal training. I don't have time to waste on an apprentice who will not be able to react properly and intelligently every time I throw a tantrum. And I throw a lot of tantrums. Whenever I get angry, it is often due to something going badly wrong at my hospital. Something that I can easily fix except, I can't personally handle each and every case myself. I want to train an apprentice who will be able to think like me and act like me. No. Better than me when situations where I can't be available arise. Someone I can trust to cover what I can't.

Out of all the previous applicants there was only one who was worthy to be my apprentice. Her name is Chizuru. She however, had reached the limit of her full potential. Proud as I am of her, she was not the one who would become my successor. I've long given up on the idea of finding one. I can't imagine anyone else coming close to what Chizuru had achieved.

Until, I came across a peculiar candidate, recommended by none other than my mentor himself. His recommendation letter came with an essay. According to him, it was supposed to be a part of a Tokyo U Biomedical Engineering student's practice thesis."

"You can't mean…"

Mebuki returned with the tea and the snacks then.

"I took the time to read it because… it was my mentor who sent it to me. My initial thought was; _it's not bad_." Tsunade shrugged. "In fact, it was brilliant. It wasn't perfect but… it was brilliant nonetheless. But then again, it's expected of a student studying at Tokyo University. I myself wouldn't have any trouble writing something like that given what information was available to me as a student. At least that's what I thought _until_ … I learned that it was _not_ written by a student of Tokyo U. It wasn't even a college student. It was written by a senior high school student studying in a small town in the rural area."

Tsunade looked at Sakura intently.

"Eh? You mean my daughter?", Mebuki was surprised.

Tsunade nodded at Mebuki. "I'm familiar with the Uzumakis being the most prominent medical lineage in these areas but… I looked into Sakura and… she is not related to them whatsoever. Then, I realized something else. I figured out why I thought that her essay was something I could've written myself."

Tsunade turned back to Sakura. "Sakura, did you by any chance use a book written by Senju Hashirama as your reference?"

"Y-Yes. I did."

"He was my grandfather. When I was still a child, I told him that my dream is to be a Cardiologist just like him. I was still too young then. By the time I would be old enough to start learning, he would already be too old to teach me. So he, with the aid of his most promising student at that time, wrote that book for me. He originally intended that book for my use only. To pass on his knowledge down to me. But a book written by the great Senju Hashirama himself, publishers couldn't resist.

That book wasn't successful though. Just like any other book, its contents start with a lot of basic things but then… as you go on it gets… extremely complicated. It contained advance information that only committed members of the Senju medical lineage is expected to understand. Tell me Sakura… What was it like? The experience you had when you were reading my grandfather's book."

"I- Uhm… T-To me… it never felt like I was reading a book at all. The procedures that was being explained in that book… It felt like I was performing it first-hand. Every time I encountered the word cut or incision, I felt my fingers twitching. I could smell the iron coming from the blood. I… I can't really explain it but… It's like I'm in a different world where all this valuable information is available to me and there's just so much I could do with it."

"You understood the book without the initial exposure to the Senju medical methods. And you even applied it to a biomedical study _in a way_ that a Senju would as well. I can only imagine my mentor's surprise when he noticed it upon reading your essay. That's probably why he thought it was necessary for me to see it for myself."

"I'm sorry but… who is your mentor again?"

"Oh right. My mentor is Dr. Hiruzen Sarutobi. He helped my grandfather wrote that book we were talking about. He was the only person, who is not a member of the Senju clan, to ever successfully learn from two of the best Senju doctors in the family."

"Dr. Sarutobi? The resident cardiologist at Uzumaki General Hospital?"

"Yes. Ah. I've also heard about the case of the man who had a sudden cardiac arrest by the way. Hearing that made me even more impressed with you."

"Oh. Erm… I didn't realize that Dr. Sarutobi had connections with the Medical Faculty at Tokyo U?"

"Dr. Hiruzen is actually also an alumnus of Tokyo University."

"I see, so that's how he came across my- Wait. You said… 'supposed to be' a part of a practice thesis. You meant the version that Sasori _didn't_ use. But… how could he have had access to it? There's only one hard copy and I still have it."

"According to him, a nurse showed it to him. She asked him if he could offer you an endorsement for a scholarship grant given your potential."

…

**/"Anyway before I send Sasori an e-mail, I thought I'd ask Nurse Rin to take a look at it. I wanted her opinion on whether I was able to write a convincing piece. But I have no way to know when she's around or not busy so I thought I'd ask Karin to hold onto it and hand it to Nurse Rin when they see each other."/**

**/"I can hand this to her during lunch for you? You have to report to the faculty for your make-up quiz right?"/**

**/"Well, if it's not any trouble?"/**

…

"Nurse Rin."

"That would be the same Nurse I met back at your high school.", Tsunade recalled.

"Y-Yes. That's her."

"She must've made a copy and it found its way to me.", Tsunade concluded.

"That's the only explanation.", murmured Mebuki.

"So, Sakura… As I said earlier, you were a potential candidate to be my apprentice. But now that I got to personally meet you, I am now more than willing and very eager to offer you an internship at Senju Hospital. All I need is your dedication and the promise to not disappoint me."

"Err… as mentioned before… College is... I'm not sure we can afford-"

"Oh, that's not going to be a problem. By my endorsement, Tokyo University will provide a full scholarship covering your academic fees. Plus allowance."

"Just her academic fees? What about her accommodations and other miscellaneous fees?", wondered Mebuki.

"Okaasan!"

"It's a relevant question.", said Mebuki. "How will you properly attend school if you don't even have a place to stay? And what about projects, seminars, workshops and other off-campus programs you will encounter while studying?"

Tsunade smirked. "Your mother has a point. I'll see what I can do about it. With that in mind, are you interested in becoming my apprentice?"

"I…"

"Yes!", Mebuki beamed.

"Err…" Sakura was surprised by her mother's eagerness to agree.

"Dr. Tsunade, I promised you will not regret doing this for my daughter.". Mebuki told Tsunade.

"I'm looking forward to supporting your daughter and helping her reach her full potential."

"Yes. Thank you very much. Our family is very grateful." Mebuki lowered her head in a bow and had Sakura follow suit. "You too."

"T-Thank you very much.", said Sakura as she bowed as well.

"Very well, this is all the time I have for now." Tsunade stood up.

Sakura also stood up.

"Sakura, I'll be contacting you again soon. For now, good luck with your studies. Do your best to get through your senior year in high school then… let's talk about finalizing the arrangements for your scholarship okay?

"Y-Yes. T-Thank you."

Sakura and Mebuki walked Tsunade out.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Thank you for coming.", said Mebuki as Tsunade left. She then turned to her daughter. "Isn't this great Sakura?"

Sakura was silent.

"Sakura? What's wrong? You look… unhappy."

"And you're too happy."

Mebuki closed the front door. "Is that a bad thing? Sakura, the solution to our problem just knocked on our door. With that scholarship, your future is set. You can relax now. All of this… _family feud_ between us can finally end. We don't need to argue about which is more important. Now, we can use your grandmother's money to renovate the bath house and you'll still be able to go to college. Become a doctor. Isn't this what you always wanted? Not only do you get to study in the university of your choice, you're also pretty much guaranteed an internship at the biggest hospital in Tokyo. This calls for a celebration! I- I…"

Sakura rolled her eyes.

Mebuki looked at Sakura and realized that she's upset. "I'm doing something wrong again aren't I? Nothing I ever do is right to you?! This is how it's always going to be! I'm always going to be the bad mother!" Mebuki started yelling.

"You still don't get it do you?"

"Then tell me! Talk to me! Make me understand! I've been trying for a while now. I- I thought that this is what you wanted. Don't you want to be a doctor anymore?"

"YES! I want to be a doctor! I've wanted to become a doctor since I was young. But the 'me' right now wants it _more than ever_. As I got older and more matured… I realized that this is really what I want to be and… I just can't see myself becoming anything else. But… there was a young, stupid and miserable version of myself in the past who had only wanted to become a doctor just to spite you."

Mebuki was taken aback.

"You were always comparing me to other girls when I was still a kid! 'Why can't I act more feminine like this girl? Why can't I make an effort to be prettier like that girl? Why can't I be more like Yamanaka's daughter? Ino this, Ino that. She's everything you wish I would be; beautiful, charming, smart~ Smart is good but… she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Smart and successful woman have a hard time raising a family. What husband would like a wife that's more successful than him anyway? I should just aim to be a plain housewife. If I'm lucky enough, I'll bag a millionaire for a husband and we'll be set for life. But that's probably not going to happen because who would want someone so unladylike and edgy as me. I'm just a smart ass. I'll never be good for anything.' Yada yada yada!", ranted Sakura.

Mebuki looked appalled.

"I made up my mind to prove you wrong. I was resolved to showing you that I could be good for something. I decided that I was going to become a successful doctor. And then… I'm going to be a good wife to the kindest and most caring man in the world and he would not be threatened by my desire to prove my worth. _That_ was the plan! I- I… worked so hard. I agreed to grandmother's deal thinking that… with this situation, you would watch me closely. First place or not, you would see my efforts. And you did. You saw my _pathetic efforts_. Still, I was determined to do better… to work harder.

But now… someone comes here to offer me a scholarship and you're… you're suddenly very supportive? You're just relieved! The truth is… Who or what I become is irrelevant to you. Whether I succeed or not doesn't matter. You just didn't want to be financially obligated. You wouldn't have really minded me pursuing my dream to become a doctor as long as you didn't have to pay for it."

Mebuki felt her knees get weak. She stepped back and leaned on the getabako.

Sakura saw her mother's crestfallen face. Overwhelmed with guilt, she rushed out of the door and ran away as fast as she could.

**.**

**.**

**.**

'04:59 pm / Sat, Sept 05'

Sakura sighed and put her phone into the pocket of her three-quarter sleeved denim shirtdress. Good thing she made an effort to dress for Tsunade earlier this morning otherwise, she would've ran out of the house wearing only her pajamas.

Sakura tried to stay inconspicuous as she walked pass schoolmates who were leaving the school grounds at that hour.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-Sunset-

Kakashi just stood still while looking very un-amused. "Feeling better I presume."

Sakura was just ahead, holding onto 'his' bike while looking at him with a weak smile on her face.

Kakashi sighed.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura sat on a bench near the school parking area. On the next bench about two meters away from her, sat Kakashi.

"You know Sensei, I was really determined to move on to college whether I win that deal with my grandmother or not. In the event that I don't get first place… I was prepared to run away after graduation. I'll support myself if I have to. That's what I decided.", shared Sakura.

Kakashi remained silent.

"When you became our acting adviser and introduced the pairing system, I seriously thought that I had the chance to win that bet. Neji got Lee so… I thought, whomever I get paired with pretty much guaranteed me a higher credit than him. I actually got a chance to pursue my dream without having to run away from home. I could still save my relationship with my family. Sure my mother will be bitter and it'll take a while before she accepts it but at least they won't have to disown me or something."

Sakura sighed. "But then... I got paired with… the guy that I have tried to avoid for the most part of my freshman and sophomore years. I thought 'ah, what the hell'… my best friend doesn't like him anymore and I'm… I'm into someone else myself at that time. It's all for the sake of a high grade anyway. That's all it was, I told myself. I wasn't aware of the… _chaos_ I was diving head first into. _And you tried to stop me too._ You told me to leave Sasuke-kun be. I… I didn't listen. I never listen. I was so stubborn. I wanted to earn that extra credit no matter what. I knew that I was doing most of it for my own sake but…

I was really serious about wanting to help Sasuke-kun as well. _I was_. I swear I was. I wanted to help him with school… I wanted to convince him to go home… I wanted him to be with his friends and family. _I didn't know anything_. W-When you told me that he changed school… And I realized that the previous semester didn't benefit him in any way at all, I suddenly felt… _irrelevant_. In the end, I couldn't do anything for him at all. He never needed any help to begin with. I was the one who ended up being saved by him. But I couldn't even thank him properly.

Still I was doing my best. I was slowly getting better. I was in the middle of cleaning up my mess. I was starting to accept the reality of my situation. I was re-evaluating my resolve and establishing my priorities. I wanted another chance. I was going to work harder this semester. But… Dr. Tsunade comes and brings me great news… and… my problem's suddenly solved… just like that. I didn't know how to take it. My mother was very happy. But… I wasn't. This is what I always wanted. This is what I've been aiming for so… _Why?!_ "Sakura started crying _._ "I feel bad. I feel horrible. I feel like… I only got a consolation victory? This isn't how I wanted it to end. My grades, my efforts, everything else I've been through. None of that matters to my mother anymore. I'll never know if she could've been proud of me. I'll never get to prove myself to her."

Kakashi looked up at the sky. "First of all, I hope you are aware that even if you weren't offered that scholarship you would've won that bet anyway. After all, you finally figured out what you were doing wrong right?"

Sakura wiped her tears and looked at Kakashi. "I wasn't paying enough attention to my own studies."

Kakashi nodded. "As for what happened with Sasuke, why would you feel irrelevant?"

"Because… I… wasn't able to do anything for him at all."

Kakashi looked at Sakura. "You became his friend."

"…"

"Haruno. Remember on the day I declared that your class was now my class. I told all of you that you were now my team and in my team…"

"The worse kinds of people are not the ones who can't keep up. It's those who let their teammates fall behind.", supplied Sakura.

"Exactly. I asked you to leave Sasuke be. You refused. Even when you misunderstood me and thought that I was going to bribe you with credits just to leave him alone. Credits that I knew you badly needed."

"I still did it only for the credit. I just didn't want a scripted one."

"And the credit you preferred was one that wasn't guaranteed. You were prepared to not get anything out of it."

"I still got something out of it though. Even though I didn't deserve it."

"Because you weren't able to help him the way you wanted to?"

Sakura lowered her head.

"Remember that I also asked each pair to help each other out. It just so happens that, you were not expecting to be the one who ends up getting helped the most. So what though if that was the case? The both of you still made a great pair, wouldn't you say? Everything that Sasuke did for you, weren't you also the one who brought the effort out of him in the first place? Besides, it wasn't the way you planned but… you did end up helping Sasuke as well. You brought him and Naruto back together."

"I supposed." Sakura looked up and smiled weakly. "That counts for something right? After all, his friendship with Naruto is what he values the most."

"I think it's time to bring that up with you now."

"Hm?"

"Do you know why I insist on the 'pairing'?"

Sakura shook her head.

"Some students often make the mistake of thinking that the grade means everything. They become competitive and focus only on proving themselves to be better than others. It's not entirely their fault. Sometimes it's the pressure from having parents with high expectations…"

Sakura could relate.

"Sometimes it's the educators fault for leaving this wrong impression on the students.", continued Kakashi. "I wanted to create a means to counter that. My objective has always been to support my students in achieving a certain quality that will benefit them not only through the learning process but even after you graduate and as you move forward in life. After all, after high school, after college, after getting your license… it's no longer going to be about the highest grade. You could be the smartest person in the world but that doesn't mean that you'll be good at your job.

You know Haruno, you were actually the one I was most worried about in that class. At first it seemed like you were only concerned about getting the highest score and being on top. I didn't know how to tell you that that kind of motivation can only get you so far especially since you want to become a doctor. You'll never be a good doctor unless you understand the value of _helping others_. I didn't want you to aim to be better than others. I wanted you to aim to be someone who can help everyone. You want to save lives after all."

Sakura carefully considered what Kakashi had said.

"I supposed I was wrong about you in a way. It was your circumstance that made you way too concerned about grades and proving yourself to other people. So let me tell you this."

Sakura listened intently.

"Instead of feeling undeserving because you hadn't done enough or worrying that you haven't proven anything yet, just think of it like this… Consider that scholarship as your way out of this self-induced prison that you're in now. Use it as an opportunity to close this chapter in your life and… open a new one. Move forward. You still have a long way to go after all. I hope that in time, you can gradually grow out of your insecurities. The good news is, no one needs to explain to you how important helping other people is. You already possess a caring personality to begin with. You just have to learn how to properly project it." Kakashi smiled gently. "Haruno. I think you're going to become a great doctor."

"I…"

"It's probably too early to say this but… Even though I'm only a sub, I'm glad to be your _year advisor_.", said Kakashi as he stood up. He then picked up his bike and started slowly pushing it towards the exit. "It is my honor to be the one who will send you off to the world for the beginning of your adult life."

"Kakashi-sensei… I…" Sakura bolted up from the bench. She then bowed down and yelled loud enough for her moving teacher to hear. " _Thank you_! Thank you so, so much! For listening to me! For putting up with my nonsense! For everything! I won't disappoint you!"

"No!", Kakashi yelled back to her. "Don't disappoint _yourself_ by setting unnecessary expectations! Stay strong! Cheer up! Enjoy life!"

"H-HAI!" Sakura was determined to retain her position for a bit longer.

She straightened herself when she noticed that she was not alone.

Rin who had just arrived at the parking grounds was surprised to find Sakura at school. "Sakura?! I thought you were sick. What are you doing here?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Rin blinked away from the road to glance at Sakura who was sitting on the passenger seat. "So, did you accept her offer?", she asked.

Sakura kept herself busy by looking out of the window. "Yes. I did. Thank you for… doing what you did but… Why did you do it? Why did you even make a copy of my work in the first place?"

"Cardiology isn't my forte so I called Dr. Sarutobi to make a few inquiries. He asked me to read it to him over the phone. After he heard what you wrote, he asked if he could have a copy. I told him that I have to ask for your permission first but for some reason I never got the chance to."

"But you already made a copy anyway?"

"I didn't hand it over to Dr. Sarutobi immediately. I held on to it for a while. But after what happened with Obito… I became very determined to help you. Besides, Sasuke-kun had asked me even before then to use my connections in Tokyo to find you a scholarship grant."

Sakura slowly turned to look at her. "He did?"

Rin nodded. "I- I… wanted to win him over. Dr. Sarutobi is way more credible than me anyway. So~"

"Nurse Rin."

"Yes?"

"That night that you offered to give me a lift to the bus stop. Did he- He called you and asked you to pick me up, didn't he?"

Rin smiled gently. "I think you already know the answer but, Yes. He did. And in exchange, I asked him to have dinner with me and Obito the following day – the day you saw us together in the supermarket. We were shopping for ingredients then."

Sakura blushed and lowered her head.

"Oh. Here we are.", said Rin before making a right turn.

The gates decorated with a paper fan insignia automatically opened as the car approached. Rin drove pass the open gate and into the Uchiha property.

Sakura looked ahead as they got closer to a huge mansion.

**.**

**.**

**.**

They passed by a red car on their way to the carport. Rin parked her car beside a white one. Sakura then noticed the very familiar black car a few feet ahead.

Rin turned the engine off, opened her door and made a move to get out of the car.

Sakura followed suit. As soon as she got out of the car, she couldn't help looking all around her.

The sound of the front door opening made Sakura look towards it. She saw five familiar people. The twins from before held the french doors open while Obito was walking Nagato and Konan out.

"Rin. You're here.", noted Obito. "And… Sakura?"

"We just arrived.", Rin told Obito.

"Good evening.", Sakura greeted everyone.

Rin turned to the other two. "Are you two leaving already?"

"Yes we are.", answered Nagato. "Good night." He then turned to Sakura and gave him a slight nod before walking towards the red car.

Konan also smiled at Sakura before following Nagato to his car.

"Thanks for your hard work. Have a pleasant evening.", said Rin.

The two bowed to Rin before getting into their car.

"Come on in." Rin motioned for Sakura to follow her into the house.

Obito stepped aside to let them in.

Sakura took a moment to nod at the twins before stepping into the house.

They smiled to her in response.

Obito followed behind her and Rin.

As soon as everyone was inside, the twins closed the door.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	37. 8.5

**(8.5)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _Please tell him that…"_**

Sakura patiently waited in the living room with Rin. They sat quietly across each other.

Sakura took a moment to scan the room. None of the three windows in that room had curtains. There was a mark on the floor that suggested where a carpet used to be. Some Furniture are set aside and arranged in a way that it can easily be taken out through the door. There were also piles of boxes scattered all over the room.

"Sasuke said we could do whatever we need to do to make this house feel like ours. He said we could sell or donate anything we want to replace or don't need.", said Obito as he came into the living room.

"Oh.", said Sakura.

Obito walked towards the couch. "Except for some important personal belongings. We're moving those up into the attic. Along with the things he erm… had to… leave behind."

Sakura noticed the scrapbook Obito was holding. "He's not coming back is he?", she assumed.

Obito placed the scrapbook on top of the center table before taking his seat. "The core product of the Uchiha Corporate Group is the Tsukiyomi brand. Due to its huge commercial success, it is highly in demand all over the world. The main headquarters which is situated in Tokyo handles all business transactions within Asia while the U.S.A. branch office oversees all foreign subsidiaries in the western hemisphere. Sasuke's grandfather needs him in the U.S. to take charge of the corporate headquarters there. Yes. Chances are… he is staying there for good."

Sakura lowered her head.

"Rin told me everything. First of all, I apologize for the way that Sasuke treated you that one time. I hope you understand that he acted that way because he just didn't know how to tell you everything. Naruto, his best friend… He was trying to make it up to him. That boy has long been infatuated with you and Sasuke was aware of it since the very beginning. He was in a very bad spot. Besides, it wouldn't have worked out between the both of you… _considering_ …"

Rin cleared her throat.

"For… your own piece of mind…", Obito reluctantly spoke.

Sakura raised her head to look at him again.

"For the sake of…" Obito shifted in his seat. "… _Closure_. Allow me to explain everything."

Sakura turned to Rin.

"Don't worry.", Obito told Sakura. "I was completely ignorant of the situation between you and him that I~ was the only one he didn't ask to keep my mouth shut. That means~ I am at liberty to tell you everything you need to know."

Rin nodded.

Sakura turned back to Obito.

"Very well. If I may start from the very beginning…" Obito sighed. "When Sasuke's parents died almost eleven years ago, my uncle, Uchiha Madara, the head of the family and the executive director of the Uchiha Corporate Group made the arrangement for me to move here. I was asked to watch over Sasuke and Itachi _and_ … take over managing the businesses their parents' left behind at least, until Itachi's old enough and qualified to succeed the businesses himself.

But during the funeral, Itachi made an impression on my uncle and so he decided to adopt Itachi. And Itachi agreed to the adoption despite knowing that he would have to part with Sasuke, who obviously had to remain here and succeed their parent's businesses instead.

Itachi was then brought to Tokyo where he was raised by my uncle, along with his other adopted son; Shisui… to well become successors. Due to this arrangement, my circumstance changed. If Itachi had stayed here in Konoha, I would've been able to return to Tokyo six years ago. That was what I promised Rin before going here." Obito glanced at Rin before turning back to Sakura. "The only thing that really troubled me about moving here in Konoha, was the fact that I left Rin behind in Tokyo. She had just started her professional career as a nurse then."

Sakura turned to Rin.

"I agreed to wait for him for six years. We made plans to finally get married and settle down when that day comes. We had to postpone it of course. Because… It would take at least eleven years before Sasuke would turn eighteen."

"About five years ago…" Obito resumed the story. "Itachi suddenly announced his inability to fulfill his responsibilities as a successor."

"Because he was… sick with Cancer." Sakura reckoned.

Obito nodded. "Back then we weren't sure what step my uncle would take next. We tried to stay positive. My uncle pleaded for Itachi to battle his disease. Itachi did it for Sasuke. He went back to Tokyo and was hospitalized. He went under medication and chemotherapy but when his health didn't show any progress, my uncle took him to another doctor. And when that doctor couldn't provide a better result, they sought a different opinion again. They tried various means. Itachi fought hard but he's condition just kept worsening. And then… less than year ago he finally gave up. He didn't want to spend his last days moving from one hospital to another. Instead, he wanted to be with Sasuke.

Sasuke did everything to accommodate him. But because Itachi was confined in a hospital in Tokyo he had to commute from here to Tokyo just to spend time with his brother. He started taking time off school but he couldn't tell anyone that his brother was dying because our family decided to keep Itachi's condition a secret. It was Itachi's request as well. The teachers were also asked to keep quiet about it."

"N-Naruto was really upset about not knowing until it's too late.", Sakura shared. "He ended up saying mean things to Sasuke-kun. He thought that… Sasuke-kun just… preferred being with Itachi over him. He felt like Sasuke-kun didn't want to be friends anymore. He was miserable after realizing what really happened with Itachi. He couldn't take those words back after all."

"It can't be helped. Sasuke-kun was only doing it to fulfill Itachi's wishes.", explained Rin.

"Those two tried to make the most of their last moments together", added Obito. "Sadly, early in March, Itachi took his last breath. It devastated both Sasuke and my uncle. We didn't really have time to dwell on the matters concerning the future of the company then but… My initial thought was that I'd be able to go back to Tokyo since Sasuke would be turning eighteen soon. But… after Itachi's funeral, a few months ago, instead of me going back to Tokyo, Rin was the one who moved here because… my stay here became indefinite."

"Sasuke-kun's grandfather asked him to take his brother's place.", concluded Sakura.

"Sasuke is actually a very capable kid as well. It's just that he was always compared to his brother, who was a prodigy. It often made him appear less than what he really was. But the thing is, while Itachi was given special attention and was trained by renowned mentors… Sasuke, who was always trying to keep up with his brother, ended up being a self-taught genius, which is actually… _remarkable_ in its own way. Not to mention, Sasuke gave it his all to be noticed by his grandfather in hopes that he would also be taken to Tokyo to be with his brother."

…

**/"…They had to grow up separately. … But seeing Itachi again someday was what kept Sasuke going. The reason he tried to be a good boy. The reason he did his best at everything. He had hoped that if he was good enough, his grandfather would take him in as well and then he and his brother could be together."/**

…

"Even though Itachi wasn't around anymore, Sasuke-kun still complied with his grandfather's request.", thought Sakura.

…

**/"It's not such a bad thing really. It's just that…"/**

…

"By that time, with his experience and familiarity, Shisui finally took over the Tokyo headquarters so Sasuke would automatically be assigned to the U.S. branch. My uncle instructed Sasuke to leave at once for the U.S. by the end of the school calendar. He was supposed to attend seminars and business conferences so he would be ready to partially manage the company even though he was still in the process of completing his academic requirement."

…

**/"…I'm not ready. Before I fill up Itachi's empty space, I want to fill mine first. There's something I have to do first, or else I won't be able to move on with my life.**

**My grandfather doesn't understand. He thinks my objective is a waste of my time and his resources and if I insist on pursuing it, I'd have to do it without his financial help. He also threatened my uncle's privileges should he support me, so I moved out of the house."/**

…

"But he asked for… _more time_." Sakura put the pieces together. "And then he moved out of the house so Nurse Rin also decided not to live with Obito-san until now."

"I was more than willing to support him actually but, the case was, I was under my uncle's payroll until only recently. Sasuke knew that if my uncle took away my privileges, Rin and I would have a hard time. Rin after all, was only able to accept a part time work at Konoha General Hospital for the sake of Karin's informal apprenticeship. The money she gets from working there combined with her job as the school nurse wouldn't have been enough. It would've forced her to go back to Tokyo which would greatly affect me as well.", shared Obito.

"That's why he sought the part time job and ended up working for Orochimaru-san?"

"Part time?" Obito looked confused as he look to Rin for confirmation.

Sakura also looked at Rin who nodded to Obito. "That's what- Sasuke-kun…"

"That's what Sasuke led you to believe.", realized Obito. "Sakura, did Sasuke tell you what… he needed 'more time' for?"

"He once told me that… before he fills up Itachi's empty space, he wanted to fill _his_ first. He wanted to do something for himself so he could… move on.", recalled Sakura. "When I asked him what it is, all he said was 'To play one last game with his brother'. I'm not really sure what he meant back then. To me it sounded like… there was something he had to do for Itachi first but at the same time, it would also give him some sort of peace of mind or something."

"Ah. Yes." Obito reached for the scrapbook. "This is Sasuke's. It was a present from Itachi. Itachi made this while he was confined in the hospital. He was really very happy that he could finish it in time.", continued Obito as he started looking through the pages.

"Oh. That's…" Sakura was uneasy. "I didn't know that."

"Sasuke was very simple as a child. He tolerated the things that he didn't like but he _love_ what he loves and he loved his brother so much. His brother was his hero. Sasuke enjoyed the time spent playing with his brother the most. Itachi also only gets to enjoy being a normal child whenever he's with Sasuke. But the older Itachi got, the more responsibilities he carried and the less he gets to spend time with Sasuke. Soon playing together became impossible for the both of them and Sasuke was left only holding onto empty promises made by Itachi to pacify him.

Since Itachi didn't have time for Sasuke anymore, Sasuke started looking for ways to make it. He thought that if he became as smart as his brother, as good as his brother, as talented as his brother, then their parent's would rely on him as well. He and his brother would be able to share the responsibilities and Itachi would finally have time to play again. Itachi took it the wrong way. He thought that Sasuke was competing against him for their parent's love. Itachi, being the loving older brother that he is, decided to let their parent's appreciate Sasuke more. He allowed his grades to fall. He intentionally made mistakes and showed incompetence. It angered their father. He scolded Itachi and they ended up not speaking to each other for a long period of time.

The next and last time Itachi spoke to his parent's was after the accident… in the hospital, a few seconds before they died. That night, Sasuke came home late from school to an empty house with a cold dinner that Itachi had prepared for his father's birthday as an apology. Since then Sasuke and Itachi were never the same again. The day Itachi left Konoha, he promise Sasuke that he'll only be gone for a short while and when he returns, they would play again together. But by then, Sasuke already knew too well that Itachi was lying.

That is why Itachi worked so hard to put this together for Sasuke. To make it up to him and to fulfil his last promise to him.", Obito closed the scrapbook. He then stood up and handed it to Sakura.

Sakura accepted the book.

Obito returned to the couch. "That scrap book is a compilation of the most significant memories Itachi had made. Wonderful places where he had been that he wished Sasuke could've also seen. Locations of significant people that had made a strong impression on him, people that he desired for Sasuke to get the chance to meet as well.

That is a map. A map for Sasuke to follow. It's a… way for him to catch up to his brother. A way for him to see what his brother saw. Experience what he experienced. Appreciate what he appreciated. A way for Sasuke to love life in this world the same way Itachi did even after losing their parents. In a matter of speaking, this was Itachi's way of giving Sasuke a reason to keep on living even though he would leave him as well."

Sakura wiped her tears and began scanning the scrapbook.

"It is also a game in a way that, for every location specified in that book, Itachi has left a piece of himself. Those pieces are like a puzzle. If Sasuke completes the journey, he gets all the pieces and it reveals a location where he would find what Itachi had left behind for him or so Itachi said.", added Obito. "This is what Sasuke meant by playing one last game with his brother. Sasuke asked his grandfather to allow him to finish this journey first. My uncle gave him five months to complete it and of course, he made sure that the money Sasuke will need to make these travels, he'll have to earn himself."

"Five months?", Sakura considered. "So he really was only allowed to stay here until the end of summer."

"Sakura. You skipped the first page didn't you.", Obito noted. "You probably wanted to avoid reading the dedication but I want you to look carefully at the very first picture."

Sakura did what Obito asked and returned to the first page. "This is… Otogakure. Orochimaru-san's bar."

"That was the very first stop on Sasuke's journey. That explained where Itachi had been hanging out during the times that he was avoiding their parents. He went over to Otogakure every day and had Orochimaru, who could still play the piano back then, teach him… just so he could pass the time until he was ready to go home."

"I see." Sakura smiled gently as she straightened the sheet protector of the page that she was looking at. "No wonder Sasuke acted like that. He worked diligently at that place and cared so much for it. It was almost like… that bar was his."

"It was his.", said Obito. "…Until he returned it to its rightful owner just recently."

Sakura looked up at Obito. "Pardon."

"When Sasuke first visited that bar, it was closed and the owner, Orochimaru had been reduced to a miserable drunk. He was supposed to sell that bar but Sasuke offered him an alternative. Sasuke actually had money at that time. Before he left the house to start on his journey, he sold his car and some of his expensive clothes. He loaned Orochimaru that money in exchanged for keeping that bar as collateral."

"Eh?"

…

**/"…When Sasuke first found me, I was a miserable person. I was a frustrated musician who had to retire early due to an accident that took away my gift. … These hands doesn't work the same way it used to. Even after so many surgeries and therapies, I just couldn't play like I used to. … I could never be as good as I was back then. With such skills, I couldn't possibly compete in the music world ever again."**

**It took a while for the reality of my situation to sink in. By then, the bar was all that's left of me. But I couldn't afford to keep it open so I considered selling it. That's when Sasuke-kun found me. He- Let's just say, he… helped me in order to take a new direction with my life. I got my house back…"/**

…

"Sasuke said he would help him get back on his toes so Orochimaru promised to pay him back the money in time for when Sasuke would finally resume his travel. In the meantime, Sasuke asked for free lodging since he couldn't go back home and let us now that he didn't have any more money. And while he waited, he decided to attend school for as long as he could."

"Orochimaru-san was lying after all. Every one of them in Otogakure was prepared to lie or cover for Sasuke.", Sakura concluded.

…

**/"No comment."/**

**/"Wh- … You're totally on his side!"/**

**/"Not really. Not on this one. But… like I said, it's not my place to speak."/**

…

**/"You know this. Y-You know everything or at least you seemed like you do but you definitely knew I like him. You even know about Sasori. And I know you know something about Sasuke. Something I don't know./**

**/"Honestly, yes. I know _a lot_ that you don't. At least not yet."/**

**/"Like what? Tell me something I don't know."/**

**/"You don't know it because he hasn't told you yet himself. So, I can't tell you."/**

**/"I keep hearing that! Everyone always knows something I don't. And every one of you, for some reason chooses to keep it that way out of consideration for him. Why is that?"/**

**/"Because that's how important he is to us. We would never do anything to compromise him."/**

**/"Anything? Including letting me look like a fool time and time again?"/**

**/"Yes."/**

…

**/"I can't really disclose much. For Sasuke-kun's sake."/**

…

Sakura turned to Rin. "And so were you."

…

**/"I don't know how much you already know. Sasuke-kun… He said he'll be the one to explain things to you but I don't think he fully understands the situation himself. … Oh how I wish I could do something about this situation but my current circumstance puts me in a position where… I have to act in favor of Sasuke-kun."**

**/"That's understandable."/**

**/"There are so many things I can't disclose at the moment. I'm not certain how much I'm allowed to tell you- … that won't end up compromising Sasuke-kun any further."/**

…

Rin was guilty. "It was because we didn't want Karin and Naruto to find out what was happening with him at that time.", she reasoned "Sasuke hadn't gotten around to telling them that he was leaving Japan soon for good. He wanted to tell them personally but he wasn't sure how to approach them about it. And then there's also that."

"That?", wondered Sakura.

Rin fell silent again.

"Sasuke had planned to resume the journey during the summer break.", said Obito.

Sakura froze. "D-During?! But he was- He stayed and worked at the bar all summer. _Because of me_!"

…

**/"…I will work for you during the summer vacation…"**

**/"Summer huh? … Very well. _IF_... Sasuke-kun is okay with having the two of you work to pay off his supposed debt for him, that is."/**

**/"I can't have the two of you do that for me."/**

**/"Sasuke-kun! … You know very well that I will do what I want to do. Even if you don't like it, I will work for Orochimaru-san during the summer vacation. Whether or not I will have worked there for nothing is up to you!"/**

**/"Fine. I guess I'll help out during the summer vacation as well. I can't have you two take on my 'would-be-debt _'_ on your own, although it's thanks to your suggestion that I will be having it in the first place."/**

**/"Weren't you going to be there anyway?"/**

…

Sakura was guilt ridden. "I… He wanted to… for his brother… and I…

…

**/"I understand that there's something you want to do for your brother. And it's something you probably feel you need to do for your own peace of mind as well. But if doing it means that you have to be alone. That you have to lose your friends or your family… Is it really something that your parents or your brother would want you to go through with?**

**I'm sorry. I should probably comfort you and tell you; 'I know exactly how you feel' but instead I'm… I'm just really worried about you. I just want you to be happy with your friends and family. I want you to LIVE.**

**Itachi- Your brother- He's gone now. But Naruto, he's here. Kakashi-sensei is here. Karin is here. Your uncle and your grandfather is here.**

**And…**

**Me too. I'm here for you too. Let's do our best. Let's just do what we can do for now. And right now we're still young. Let's just focus on getting through high school. Then college. And then when we're older; more matured and more able, we can truly be independent.**

**You don't really have to rush the idea of completing yourself as a person. You don't have to do it alone either. I promise, I'll still be here for you. I'll help you then. Fill that space.**

**Even if this world forces you to become someone else. I'll still remember the ' _you_ from this time. I'll remember you as just Sasuke-kun. And I'll remind you just how perfect you are as just you."/**

…

**/"You became his friend. … It wasn't the way you planned but… you did end up helping Sasuke as well. You brought him and Naruto back together."/**

…

**/"Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"/**

**/"For being romantically motivated? It's not my place to judge. I'm also only driven by my emotion. I'm in the same boat myself remember? … I'm well aware that even if I accomplish my goal, it won't bring him back. It won't turn back time for us. … I completely understand why everyone thinks it will only be a waste of time. Not to mention all this trouble I'm going through right now as a result of my decision. Still..."/**

**/"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I'm one of those people asking you to come home. And I did it all for my sake too."/**

**/"You have a point though."/**

**/"It's not like the distance between me and my brother could get any further away. Even if I miss my chance now, maybe I'll get another chance someday. At least that's what I've been thinking, these past few days."/**

**/"Eh~? So you're considering it? It's not like you have to decide right now. We still have this summer right? I'm not backing out on that deal. And you still have time to decide- …Oh no. I'm doing it again aren't I?"/**

**/"You don't really have the time to be looking out for me…"/**

…

…This was his last chance." Sakura sobbed. "I took it away from him."

"Sakura you have to understand. Sasuke had a choice. _He_ chose to discontinue his travel.", Obito tried to cheer her up. "Before you came into his life… he was living for the dead. He was obsessed with- He was holding onto his brother instead of moving on. You brought him back to us. You allowed Naruto and Karin to make happy memories with him again. You- Sasuke is able to move forward with happy memories to bring along with him instead of just spending his last days in Japan alone and searching for himself."

"But…"

…

**/"Sasuke-kun?"/**

**/"Hm?"/**

**/"Is it okay if I ask you what it is that you want to do?"/**

**/"To play one last game with my brother."/**

…

"Sasuke-kun looked so pleased back then...

**['He was probably so motivated to see what awaited him at the end of that journey. Now he'll never know. And...']**

"It's all _my fault!_ ", cried Sakura.

"This is why Sasuke-kun didn't want you to know the truth. He knew that if you found out, you would only come to hate yourself. He asked and made sure that everyone would keep it from you no matter what.", said Rin.

"But I believe… and I know…" Obito spoke. "Everyone actually wants you to see who Sasuke truly is. What kind of person he is. It would be a tragedy for him _and for you_ if you never found out what was really going on. I told Rin that if Sasuke's departure would only leave you longing and discontented with yourself, then I would take responsibility and be the one to tell you everything.

I know that all of this is hard for you to take right now but you must bear with it. I had to tell you the truth. We didn't want what he told you that night to be the last thing on your mind whenever you look back to these days. Whenever you see any of us. Whenever you… remember him. We don't want you to spend the rest of your life wondering what was really going on in Sasuke's head during all those times he spent with you. You were not hated. You are not irrelevant either. Sasuke cared for you. Truly. You meant so much to him and that's why he thought that it would be for the best to end it like that. Because he didn't want you to experience what he's been through. He knows better than anyone what it's like to only hold onto someone's memories after all. He wanted to give you a reason to forget him. But believe me. Sasuke… He was truly grateful to have met you."

…

**/"Thank you."/**

**/"For what?"/**

**/"For saying the words I didn't even know I needed to hear."/**

…

Sakura tried her best to stop crying then and there. She harshly wiped her cheeks dry of tears.

"Sakura I beg of you." Obito bowed to her.

Sakura was taken aback. "Obito-san."

"If you truly value your friendship with him. If you truly value the times you two spent together then please… Please forgive Sasuke. Forgive everyone who had to lie to you. _Forgive yourself_.", begged Obito

Rin also bowed.

"Please. This is not-"

"It doesn't have to be right at this moment but please~ For him. For all of us. For yourself. Be happy Sakura.", Obito pleaded.

Sakura put down the scrapbook and stood up. "Please get up. It's okay now. I'll be okay now. I'm going to be fine."

Obito and Rin finally looked up.

"I…" It was Sakura's turn to bow in gratitude. "Thank you. Thank you for telling me everything. I truly appreciate it."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Rin handed Sakura a towel to wipe her face with.

Sakura accepted the towel after shutting the faucet off. "Thank you."

"Please stay. Join us for dinner. It would be our pleasure to have you dine with us."

"O-Okay then. I will. Pardon my intrusion."

"No. You are welcome here anytime."

Rin waited for Sakura to finish wiping her face before they left the restroom.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"That was Sasuke's.", said Rin as he pointed at the door adjacent to the restroom. "Do you want to go in and have a look?"

"Eh?" Sakura blushed.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Rin was the first to come in.

"Come on in.", Rin told Sakura as she turned on the lights. "It has its own bathroom but it's joined to the next room. It was Itachi's but I heard that Sasuke often used it whenever Naruto came here for a sleepover."

Sakura reluctantly stepped inside Sasuke's room. The room could be mistaken for the master's suite. "You haven't cleared this room yet?", Sakura noticed that some of Sasuke's things, that were probably brought back from his dorm, were still there.

"No. Not yet."

Sakura walked around. She then ended up standing beside Sasuke's study table. She saw the lanyard that Sasuke lent her once. "This brings back memories.", said Sakura as she picked it up.

She examined it carefully as she held it in her hands. The smile on her face fades. "You once told me… 'Don't blink'.

**...**

**/"...If you look close enough you'll see his kind gestures and find a sweet side to him, hidden somewhere deep inside… all that hard and stoic surface. They're faint and so tiny that if you look away for even a second, you'll end up missing it."/**

**...**

I blinked. I shut my eyes real tight and I ended up missing a lot of things."

Rin listened to her intently.

"Sasuke-kun really was a wonderful person. He was so kind. So beautiful and captivating. I love him so much. I really, really love him. The truth is that even after everything he said to me I still do. And I'll probably love him for a little longer too… Please tell him that… I'm really glad I fell in love with him."

"He knows. It's Sasuke-kun were talking about here after all."

"And please tell him that I'll do my best so, whatever happens he must absolutely become happy too."

Rin smiled gently at her and nodded. "I'll go ahead first and help prepare dinner."

"What? No!" Sakura placed the lanyard back on the table. "I'll go with you then. I'll help too."

"No. It's okay. We can handle it ourselves. You go and looked around for a bit." Rin insisted as she stepped out of the room.

"But…"

"It's okay Sakura. I'll just send for you when dinner is ready.", said Rin.

"W-Wai-"

Rin closed the door behind her.

Sakura sighed as she sat down. She then leaned her head on the table.

She blinked a few times while staring at the lanyard.

Then her eyes stayed closed.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	38. 8.6

**(8.6)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _699/17.1"_**

Sakura suddenly opened her eyes.

The darkness of the room convinced her that she could still go back to sleep so she scrunched up her face and lazily turned to her side. She then found herself face to face with a green dinosaur. Her eyes slowly closed as is still felt heavy. She adjusted the blue comforter so that her nose was under it.

But then she realized that the alarm that woke her up in the first place was still going off and now that she had recognized the sound she could no longer ignore it. Sakura began feeling for her phone but for some reason no matter what direction she stretched her arm towards she couldn't find it. She groaned in frustration as she finally sat up.

And that's when she understood why her bed seemed wider than usual. She wasn't on her bed. She wasn't in her house.

**['N-No way! I fell asleep? It's probably gotten pretty late.']**

Sakura quickly got out of bed and frantically searched for her phone that automatically went to snooze.

She found the lone item on top of the desk.

'05:04 pm / Sun, Sept 06'

She was suddenly startled when her alarm went off again and then she was reminded what the alarm was for.

'Wake-up-call:USasuke'

"Sakura?" Rin suddenly opened the door.

"Nurse Rin." Sakura was overwhelmed with embarrassment. "I- I'm sorry. I fell asleep and… W-Why didn't you wake me up? I've spent the night over."

"You looked really tired. But don't worry. I called your house."

"I-Is that so?"

Rin nodded.

"I… I'm sorry did I wake you up with that alarm?"

"No. I'm usually up at this time. Obito has also left hours ago."

"R-Really?!"

"Yes. So~ Breakfast?"

"I… No thank you… I have to get home." Sakura started smoothing down her dishevelled hair.

"You haven't eaten since yesterday right? I'm sure you're terribly hungry."

"I…"

As if on cue Sakura's stomach growled.

"I'll drive you home later. For now, let's get you something to eat. Okay?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

"I hate doctors.", said Mebuki.

"Okaasan?". Sakura was a bit startled to find her mother inside her room. "W-What are you doing in here?"

Mebuki was seated on Sakura's bed while reading one of her medical books. " _Psychiatrists..._ to be more specific."

"…"

"I once dated a man who wanted to be a psychiatrist. We broke up _obviousl_ y. He ended up marrying a florist instead."

"Eh?", Sakura was taken aback.

"And then, they had a daughter."

"EH?!" Sakura was now shocked.

Mebuki put down the book, stood up and walked towards the balcony where she lit a cigarette.

Sakura slowly followed behind her.

"I was always rather nice to Ino wasn't I? … Always complimenting her. Always smiling at her. Argh~ Boy was it exhausting. … But I had to do it. I didn't want her parents to think that I was still bitter about it. … Except, clearly, I was.", said Mebuki as she smoked her cigarette.

Sakura was leaning on the door frame as she listened to her mother's story in considerate silence.

"You know, your grandmother never let me live down how I ruined my chance to marry a successful man. … Not even when I started dating your father. Not even after we got married. Not even after we had you. … So~ whenever Ino innocently brought up her father, I was extremely… unsettled. It was upsetting enough that she was so much like him. … She wanted to be a psychiatrist too." Mebuki sighed.

"The more Ino talked about her parents, her home, her life, the more it became apparent to me what I had missed on. The life that was supposed to be mine. The life that I should be living." Mebuki took another quick puff at her cigarette. "Don't get me wrong. I love your father. But, you know! Envy. Insecurity. Discontentment."

Mebuki held her cigarette over the balcony railing and tapped it to knock the ash off. She then turned to Sakura, crossing her arms carefully and positioning them in a way that she won't burn herself. "You were a simple girl. You wanted simple things. All you wanted was new books to read… but I- I hated it whenever you were compared to Ino. I didn't want you losing to her. You were _definitely smarter_ but… I wanted you to be prettier. I wanted you to dress better than her. I wanted you to act and talk nicer- … I wanted to- I wanted everyone to think that your father and I were the better couple. That we were the better parents. _We weren't_. … I wasn't. … I- I- I never meant for you to think like you weren't good enough."

Sakura moved from her position and joined her mother by the railing.

Mebuki turned around again to continue smoking her cigarette. She leaned her elbows on the railing.

Sakura mimicked her position.

"When you said that you wanted to be a doctor…" Mebuki sighed. "My initial thought was; the world must be… _fucking_ with me."

Hearing her mother cursed made Sakura uncomfortable. She pressed her lips together and shifted in her position.

Mebuki smirked. "Boy was the joke on me."

"I'm sorry.", said Sakura.

"You're sorry?", Mebuki was surprised. "What for?"

"I never gave you a chance. I never tried to understand you. I… I'm sorry."

"No. I'm sorry. I lied to you."

Sakura was puzzled.

"I eloped with your father so your grandmother disowned me. I never got any support from her ever. This bathhouse wasn't passed down to me. When your father was forced to an early retirement he bought this place with his retirement money. I was determined to never ask your grandmother for anything until… you decided that you were going to become a doctor. But your grandmother… She just laughed at my expense."

Sakura lowered her head in guilt. She could only sympathize with her mother.

"The truth is, we never agreed to anything. We couldn't come to an agreement. … She offered to help you but in return she wanted me to apologize and admit to her that I made a mistake for choosing your father over her. I walked away from her then and there. I left without looking back.", Mebuki said proudly.

Sakura was surprised at what she had just learned but at the same time she was really impressed with her mother.

"Stubborn. Rambunctious. Hot headed. _You're just like me_. … That's primarily the reason why I was so against you becoming a doctor. I thought you were doing it all for Sasori. I didn't want you to end up like me. … The truth is, I've been saving money for your college all this time. I just made up that deal so I can see your determination. I wanted to make sure that you were going to become a doctor because that's what you want to do and not because that's what he needs you to become."

…

**_/"Maybe there was another option all along. Sakura they're your parents. Parents do that. They find ways to support their children. I find it hard to believe that they haven't been doing anything at all to figure a way out to help you the whole time."/_ **

**/"Do you really think so?"/**

**_/"I do."/_ **

…

Sakura suddenly felt a weight of her chest.

"I knew nothing about you.", continued Mebuki. "I guess you and I were blindly running circles around each other. We both thought we were better. I was wrong about you and I was very glad to be wrong- Err… Sakura?" Mebuki was startled by Sakura hugging her from behind.

"Me too! I'm glad I was wrong about you all this time. I'm really sorry for saying you were just happy to be relieved. The truth is, I've actually been dreading the day that I will leave for college. I was scared that when that day comes, you would just be happy to finally see me go and that I would never ever want to go back home. The only thing I truly feared was running out of time to make you proud of me."

"Silly girl. I'd be an idiot to not be proud of you." Mebuki retorted. She turned around carefully so she wouldn't burn Sakura.

Sakura loosened her arms around her mother so that she could move freely.

Mebuki started patting Sakura's head shyly but Sakura went for a tight embrace and didn't relax until Mebuki gave in and returned the hug with her only available hand. She eventually warmed up to the hug and smiled.

Sakura was smiling victoriously as well on her mother's chest.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura was in the woman's bath, soaking in the hot tub.

She overhears some of the customers talking.

…

"It's been about a decade since this place was last renovated. Are the owners not planning to upgrade their facilities?"

"That's right. Lately it's been only us old people, ne? Sento nowadays is struggling to stay relevant. If they don't continue to upgrade their facilities they will slowly lose their customers."

"But doesn't it cost a fortune to renovate a bath house?"

"It does."

"For the past nine years, that couple haven't had any day off. Maybe they're getting tired of it. Maybe they'll be closing soon."

"Their daughter doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with this work either."

"But I hear that the owners are determined to keep this place running as long as they can."

"Then they should start planning a renovation to allow this place to continue for at least another decade."

…

Sakura was suddenly concerned for her parents. She slowly sink herself into the water.

**['I have that scholarship grant now after all. Maybe I should let Okaasan use that money she saved to renovate the bath house.']**

…

**/"…By my endorsement, Tokyo University will provide a full scholarship covering your academic fees plus allowance."/**

**/"Just her academic fees? What about her accommodations and other miscellaneous fees? … How will you properly attend school if you don't even have a place to stay? And what about projects, seminars, workshops and other off-campus programs you will encounter while studying?"/**

**/"Your mother has a point. I'll see what I can do about it…"/**

…

**['I'll have to think of something too just in case.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura came back to her room after the bath. Now clad in fresh clothes, she walked towards her dresser while drying her hair. She then noticed the box that Orochimaru gave her. The untouched box was sitting on her dresser.

Sakura's phone suddenly rings and her attention is immediately diverted to it. She then picked up her phone.

"Hello.", she answered "Oh. Hi Ino… Eh? Seriously? That's a lot of homework! I was only absent for one day. … T-Thanks. Sorry for your trouble. Temari and Tenten too! … You're already nearby? … Okay! … I'll meet you downstairs."

Sakura ended the call and went out of her room.

**.**

**.**

**.**

It was already late in the afternoon when Sakura returned to her bedroom.

She glanced at the box that was still sitting where she left it and then at the paper bag she was carrying.

She walked pass her dresser and moved towards her study table. She then immediately started on her homework.

**.**

**.**

**.**

A few hours later;

It was already getting dark inside her room. She now had her table lamp on as she continued to work on her assignments.

Her father suddenly knocked on the door.

"Come in.", said Sakura.

Her father opened the door and peeked inside her room. "Sakura- It's dark in here." Kizashi turned the light on for her. "Dinner's ready."

"Okay. I'm coming."

Sakura stood up just as Kizashi retreated into the hallway. On her way out, she couldn't help but to take a glance at the box again.

**.**

**.**

**.**

It was past midnight when Sakura was finished with all her studying that night. She closed her notebooks and did some stretches before putting away her things.

She then turned off her lights and got to bed.

No matter how tired she was, she couldn't seem to fall sleep that night. She kept tossing and turning until at some point she ended up dozing off.

**.**

**.**

**.**

'04:38 am / Mon, Sept 07'

Sakura awoken with less than half an hour before her alarm would go off. But she didn't feel like getting more sleep. She sat up and found herself staring at the box that had suddenly been piquing her interest since yesterday.

…

**/"…Maybe one day you'll look back to this day and feel like everything was just a waste of time. A wrong decision you made that lead to a very horrible consequence. You may come to regret it deeply.**

**You might be angry at Sasuke-kun. You might be angry at yourself. Maybe you're angry at him and yourself. My suggestion… Keep this. Hold onto it but don't open it until you're ready to forgive whoever it is that you need to forgive. You'll understand when that day comes. I promise you… You won't regret it."/**

…

Sakura got out of her bed and walked towards her dresser.

…

**/"…Sakura I beg of you. If you truly value your friendship with him. If you truly value the times you two spent together then please… Please forgive Sasuke. Forgive everyone who had to lie to you. _Forgive yourself_."/**

**/"Please. This is not-"/**

**/"It doesn't have to be right at this moment but please~ For him. For all of us. For yourself. Be happy Sakura."/**

**/"Please get up. It's okay now. I'll be okay now. I'm going to be fine. … I… Thank you. Thank you for telling me everything. I truly appreciate it."/**

…

**/"Sasuke-kun really was a wonderful person. He was so kind. So beautiful and captivating. I love him so much. I really, really love him. The truth is that even after everything he said to me I still do. And I'll probably love him for a little longer too… Please tell him that… I'm really glad I fell in love with him."/**

**/"He knows. It's Sasuke-kun were talking about here after all."/**

**/"And please tell him that I'll do my best so, whatever happens he must absolutely become happy too."/**

…

Sakura sat down on the dresser stool and pulled the box closer to her. She then carefully unwrap the box.

She hesitated for a moment. And when she thought that she was mentally prepared to find out what was inside the box, she removed the lid in one swift motion.

Inside the box was a thick envelope. Outside and on top of it, was a folded letter that had two words written on the exposed surface.

'Thank you'

Sakura was moved by these two words alone.

She slowly picked up the letter and unfolded it to reveal what's written inside.

_I hope that you're no longer angry as you read this. It would be upsetting if you end up throwing these away. There is money inside the envelope. DON'T GET OFFENDED. Don't worry, it is money you earned. The truth is if no one has already told you yet, that I had no financial obligation to Otogakure whatsoever so you weren't actually working to pay off any debt. I thought it would be a good opportunity for you to earn some money which will prove useful when you move to Tokyo. I hope that this can help you as you begin your new life there. I'm sorry for having kept a lot of secrets from you. I'm also very sorry for turning you down in such a horrible way. There is no excuse for acting that way towards you. I wished things would've turned out differently but before I even got the chance to know you, I had already made commitments. In all honesty, you becoming a part of my life is actually enough for me to want to change the way things are. But it's also because I met you that I finally understood my brother and this is why I must fulfil my commitment to my grandfather's company no matter what. I won't go into details but I want you to know that I had chosen to stay with you for as long as I could because that is how much I have come to cherish you. That is out of my own selfishness and should never ever give you a reason to feel bad about yourself. I'm sorry I couldn't thank you properly for everything you have done for me just like I promised. I hope things work out for you and that someday you find happiness._

_Sincerely, Sasuke_

Sakura fought her tears. She had a gentle smile hidden behind her left hand the whole time she read the letter.

_P.S. I once took a moment to read something from that book I gave you. I still remember each and every word to this day. I'm not an expert. This may or may not be relevant information as the author had meant to put it in there as an anecdote but it certainly left a mark on me. 699/17.1_

...

Sakura blinked. It took her a while to figure out what the numbers represented.

...

"Could it be?" Sakura stood up from the stool and walked over to her study table. She pulled out the thick book from her shelf and searched for a specific page.

**['Six Ninety-nine.']**

Sakura laid the book down on her desk. She used her left hand to hold the book open then drag her right pointer fingers across the page.

**['Seventeen point one.']**

'The hearts of a man and woman in love will begin to synchronize after the couple has gazed into each other's eyes for three minutes.'

Sakura's eyes widened. She found herself recalling a memory of a certain night.

…

**/"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun! … If you're in such a hurry then don't bother! Just go home-"/**

(Sasuke suddenly stopped and Sakura ended up running into his backpack. She almost fell backwards so she tried to grab his bag in an attempt to stable herself. At the same time however, Sasuke turned around on reflex and reached out to hold her in place. Sakura didn't fall. She was able to move her left leg back to secure her stance because her right hand caught Sasuke's left hand. Sasuke's right hand was stretched out, holding her by her waist. He realized that she was still bent back a little so he gently pulled her to help her straighten herself. His actions caught her off guard and she lost her balance so in order to keep her nose from being planted on his chest, she held her hands out instead.

She felt and heard Sasuke's heartbeat. Then she was aware of her own heart beating really fast. Blood rushed to her head. She blushed heavily and shut her eyes so tight.)

**/"Are you in pain?"/**

(His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She pushed herself back a little to look up at him and lost herself in his eyes.

Sasuke was carefully studying her facial expression, like he always had - as if all the answers he needed from her would be visible on her face. A car drives by. The headlights shone on them for a moment, illuminating Sakura's blushed.

Sasuke had a good look at her vulnerable expression and then, he was suddenly more aware. His eyes widened in realization…)

…

The tears she once was able to control could no longer be held back. Sakura's teardrops fell on the pages of her book.

…

…

…

A/N: The bathhouse problems and the (anecdote) were based on something I read on the internet.


	39. 8.7

**(8.7)**

**SUDDENLY STRANGERS**

" ** _Goodbye~"_**

…

…

…

**/"I thought I could have my fun with you. That's all it was! I was… tired of my daily routine. I was bored and… Sure you help me with my problems along the way and I'm grateful but… seeing you fall emotionally apart was part of the game. I wanted to play with you until you couldn't hold out much longer. It took longer than I expected and I just got bored of you. But like I said, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. That's why I tried to let you off easily by slowly giving you space. This dinner was a sincere favor I wanted to ask of you _as a friend_ but, I made a mistake early this morning. Old habits die hard. It was a mistake. I knew I screwed up. It wasn't supposed to end like this. Three more weeks and we could've gone our separate ways peacefully."/ **

…

Sakura remembered how he was shaking then. How he was unable to look her at all as he said it.

…

Then she remembered how Sasuke tried to tell her something the night she last saw him.

…

**/"Sakura."/**

…

She ended up ignoring him and they parted without being able to say goodbye to one another.

…

**/"Did Sasuke-kun really seem like he was just doing it all to humor you?"/**

…

…

…

Sakura immediately fetched her phone and dialed Sasuke's number.

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"So you can smile like a normal person."/**

**/['How long have I been staring?'] … "I-I-I don't w-want to hear that f-from y- a person who doesn't _smile_ AT ALL."/**

**/"Naruto, what were you- Where you headed to the library?"/**

**/"I'm meeting Hinata-chan there."/**

**/"Hand in my homework will you?"/**

**/"Why not do it yourself?"/**

**/"Can't stay. Got work today."/**

**/"You came to school just to do that one homework?"/**

**/"Aa. … Since someone went through all the trouble of handing it to me the other day."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"Sasuke."/**

**/"Huh?"/**

**/"Just call me Sasuke."/**

**/"Oh. … I'll call you Sasuke-kun starting today."/**

**/"Aa."/**

**/"Then me too! … Call me Sakura from now on okay?"/**

…

**/"Sakura. … Get home safe."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"You could've told me you weren't feeling well this morning. Or any time you feel like you're too tired to stay after class. I know I can be pushy and insensitive so... It's okay to tell me when I'm being unreasonable. You can get mad when I'm at fault too you know. Didn't I tell you? You're allowed to hate me since you'll never be able to push me away."/**

**/"Ah. Selfish and annoying as ever. But I think I'll hold off on hating you for now since you'll be giving me all the time in the world to get there."/**

**/"You bet. I've only just begun to turn your world upside down."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"I had originally intended for you to wear that one. You can use this one instead."/**

…

**/"You know me so well by now huh?"/**

**/"Yes, I supposed. I even know most your mannerisms."/**

**/"Now I feel like I want to test that."/**

**/"You reach for your hair clips whenever you feel like you're being judged or misunderstood. You hold on to your braids whenever you're extremely anxious. And when you're actually feeling really happy, you do the mouth guard move."'**

**/"Mouth guard?"/**

**/"You know when you have your hands cover your mouth."/**

**/"Oh."/**

**/"It's supposed to be a gesture that can suggest or mean a lot of things but… for you however, you tend to do that because you think you'll end up looking goofy with a huge smile on your face."/**

**/"Okay. So you're right about those. I can't believe you actually paid attention to that."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"Me? Being nice? I haven't heard that one before."/**

**/"But you are!"/**

**/"Am I?"/**

**/"Yes! You're _awfully_ being nice! And the fact that you're not even aware of it makes it more... _frustrating_!"/**

**/"Okay. But I thought the word 'nice' had a positive connotation. You seem to be disappointed. You're upset."/**

**/"Are my actions really making you uncomfortable? You're the one who said you would pull on me. And now I'm… gravitating towards you-"/**

**/"Don't say it like _that_!"/**

**/"Are you really bothered by it?"/**

**/"It's just that... it's making me feel like... I'm such a _horrible person_. You! You're the guy everyone hates for no reason at all. But you turned out to be such a nice guy. I on the other hand, have no excuse to be such a bitch but I am anyways. And everyone who hates me is just waiting for a chance or looking for an excuse to slap me in the face."**

**/"I thought you said you didn't care if anyone hated you? … For whatever it's worth. I'm not on that list yet."/**

…

**/"…Even if this world forces you to become someone else. I'll still remember the ' _you_ from this time. I'll remember you as just Sasuke-kun. And I'll remind you just how perfect you are as just you."/**

**/"Thank you."/**

**/"For what?"/**

**/"For saying the words I didn't even know I needed to hear."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"So what?! So what if you did it all for your own sake? So what if I found out? _So what_?!... SO WHAT?! … Does it really matter to you what I think? Or what anyone else thinks for that matter?! If I tell you how selfish and conceited you are, would you stop?! What is it that you want to hear from me? That I'm disappointed at you?"**

**/"Y-Yes!"/**

**/"That I was a fool for trusting you? For believing that there was actually someone who cared enough to look under my skin?"/**

**/"Yes!"/**

**/"That you're just using me?! And now I'm mad at you?! Is that it?!"/**

**/"YES!"/**

**/"Is that what you wanted to hear?! That I-"/**

**/"THAT YOU HATE ME!"/**

**/"You know what? ... Don't take it out on me just because you're feeling guilty.**

**That's it... right? You're not proud of the fact that you're romantically motivated. You're guilty for wanting to love and be love. You're guilty for wanting to be happy? But you would do anything and everything in your power so you can be, even if it means hurting or using other people.**

**You knew at some point you're doing something wrong. But you're not going to stop anyway, because you think you're doing it for the right reason. … Because being with this _Sasori_ , that's what's going to complete you. That's what makes you want to live this life.**

**You call yourself ugly and unpleasant. But do you seriously believe that about yourself? ... You only want me to think you are. You only want to give me a reason to hate you-You need to give me a reason to hate you! … _So~_ , you can pretend to be suffering as well! _So~_ , you're not the only one who's happy! _SO~_ , you can lessen your guilt and feel better about yourself!"/**

**/"Do you?!... Do you hate me now?"/**

**/"No. No I don't... I can't."/**

**/"Why?!"/**

**/"Because honestly, I don't believe you when you said that everything you're doing is all for Sasori. You… If that was the case, you wouldn't have cared about what your family would have thought of you and you would have done exactly what you thought Kakashi was asking you to do back then.**

**You once told me that you can't bring yourself to run away from your home even if your parents didn't understand you. That's because you love them and you _do_ want them to understand you. You _do_ want them to be proud of you.**

**Everything you're doing... It's not all for Sasori.**

**And I don't know why it upsets me but I am! I. Am. Upset. I'm upset that you let your best friend think that. You let her believe that that's who _YOU_ are! Someone who puts this... Sasori… _at the center of your life_. But fine! That's between you and her. … But to let yourself think that?! And now, you want me to believe that?! ... You- You… You deserve so much more than you give yourself credit for."/**

(Sakura was deeply moved and couldn't hold back the tears any longer.)

(Sasuke moves towards her and held his hand out to her. He was attempting to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

But she slaps his hand away and stepped back.)

**/"Stop it! Just stop being nice to me! Why are you the one who's here with me?! Why isn't HE here instead of you? You're not _him_! You're not _Sasori_!"/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"Sasori!"/**

**/"Sorry. I'm sorry I'm still not Sasori."/**

**/"Sa...suke...kun? What are you- How did you know where I live?" She tried to be casual.**

**/"Homework."/**

**/"Did Kakashi-sensei sent you... to return the favor?"/**

**/"A-Aa."/**

**/"I'm sorry f- … I'm sorry for your trouble. I thought Ino would be the one bringing these to me. "/**

…

**/"Ino! That favor I asked you. Never mind. Sasuke-kun brought my homework."/**

**_/"I know. He took it from me and said he'd bring it to you instead... since he's your partner."/_ **

**/"Huh? I thought Kakashi-sensei asked him to?!"/**

**_/"Is that what he said?! Kakashi-sensei asked me. But, after class, Sasuke came up to me and insisted. Demanded, actually."/_ **

**/"He did?"/**

**/['That liar.']/**

**_/"Uh-huh. He wouldn't let me pass until I hand your homework to him. And when I gave in, he walked away with it only to come back and ask for your address. It was sort of... cute."/_ **

…

**/'I know you're groggy.**

**Hang in there.**

**PS: I'm not a fanboy, so no worries okay.'/**

***\\(-_-)/***

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"Sa-Sakura?!"/**

**/"Ne, Sasuke-kun."/**

**/"W-What?"/**

**/"Let's be friends?"/**

**/"Aa."/**

…

**/"Come with me."/**

**/"Eh?"/**

**/"Are you still... wary of me?"/**

**/"Mou~"/**

…

**/"So, which way Sasuke-kun?"/**

**/"It's this way."/**

**/"You're joking right."/**

**/"I bailed on work so I can bring you here. We're going in."/**

**/"I..."/**

**/"Are you going to make me come and get you?"/**

**"But..."**

**/"Let's just go in. It's going to be fine."/**

**/"No. Wait!"/**

**/"Come on. See? Now stop struggling. How are you going to enjoy yourself if you're not comfortable with what you're wearing?"/**

**/"That's why I wasn't keen on going out like this."/**

**/"And that's why we need to go in. Don't worry. As I said, I got it covered. Now seriously, come on!"/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"Paint balloons is boring."/**

**/"Boring?"/**

**/"Oh no you didn't?!"/**

…

…

…

**/"Still bored?"/**

**/"You're doing it again. If you're happy then show it."/**

**/"Why are you always checking if my smile is forced or not? … So, what's the verdict?"/**

**/"Real enough."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"It really did look good on you… The- uh..."/**

**/"S-Scrubs?"/**

**/"The lab coat."/**

**/"Oh."/**

**/"And... letting your hair down like that suits you best."/**

**/"Oh."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**_/*I tried calling as soon as I read your message but your number was busy.*/_ **

**_/*Wrong send. Just ignore it.*/_ **

…

**/"Sasuke-kun?"/**

**_/"Aa. Uchiha. Not the other Sasuke(-kun)."/_ **

**/"What?!"/**

**_/"You said you sent the message with my name on it to me by mistake."/_ **

**/"Eh?"/**

**_/"Your message was; Sasuke(-kun), please call me when you get the chance. You're the only one I can~_ **

**_Now the way I see it, you either sent me an incomplete message or you weren't able to delete all of the parts that you realized you didn't want me, or should I say this other Sasuke, to read."/_ **

**/"I typed in 'Sasuke-kun'?"/**

**_/"Did you mean to write Sasori?"/_ **

**/"Y-Yes~"/**

**_/"Then I hope you didn't end up sending him that very same text."/_ **

**/"Er…"/**

**_/"Because if you did, this is the part where I laugh at you and you should start feeling extremely embarrassed."/_ **

**/"Okay! I lied! That text was in fact intended for you."/**

**_/"I figured."/_ **

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"Sasori please just stop this."/**

**/"No _you_ STOP!"/**

**/"Don't yell at her."/**

**/"Sasuke-kun don't!"/**

**/"No! Let him speak. What was that just now?"/**

**/"No. Please. L-Let's just go."/**

**/"Only if he tells me what I want to hear."/**

**/"You don't get to decide for her."/**

**/"But you do?!"/**

**/"She decides for herself. She can stop anytime or… she can work if that's what she wants to do. For as long as she wants to."/**

**/"She'll work as long as you need her to. Tell her it's okay to quit and she'll stop coming to work. Tell her you don't need her anymore and she'll stop talking to you."/**

**/"No."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"So, how's the new schedule working for you?"/**

**/"Great! I'm doing great. It's uhm… keeping me productive with my … _spare_ time."/**

**/"Are you sure you and Sasori didn't just have a fight because I won't ask you to quit working?"/**

**/"What?! No! That's not the case at all. He just really went back to Tokyo. … ['That's technically not a lie.'] … We talked about it and… he knows that I have to be here and he understood and… it really is okay for me to keep working here… just… as we… originally agreed on. … ['That definitely wasn't a lie.']/**

**/"Okay. … And your parents?"/**

**/"Hm?"/**

**/"They're… okay with you going full time here at work?"/**

**/"Oh. Erm… They're actually being very supportive about it."/**

**/"Is that normal? Good? Bad?"/**

**/"It's not… _bad_."/ **

**['They're being considerate of my feelings after I told them that Sasori has left me for good.']**

**/"I see. … You uhm… should go home and get some rest."/**

**/"R-Right. I… Good night."/**

**/"Good _mornnig_. Get home safe. … … … I'll walk you out."/**

…

**/"…Aa. I'm just finishing up here at work… Aa… Hn… Aa. … … … That was R-Rin."/**

**/"Oh. I… still can't believe I thought you two were dating."/**

**/"W-What?"/**

**/"What?! Nothing! ... Erm… She's checking up on you?"/**

**/"Aa. Making sure I get some rest."/**

**/"You should. You're working even harder than before…"/**

**/"You noticed. By any chance, did that have _a bit_ of an influence as to why you decided to work full time?"/**

**/"Uhm… Just… _a bit_. … ['Hold on! Is this… considered _flirting_?']/ **

**/"I figured."/**

**/['Subtle flirting?']/**

**/"On a serious note, I could say the same about you."/**

**/"What?"/**

**/"You're well aware that I can tell when you're running away from something right?"/**

**/"Uhn."/**

**/"Sakura."/**

**/" _YES!_ … ['Totally flirting!']/**

**/"Sasori is in Tokyo so… I take it you don't have any plans tomorrow? … I could just be assuming that you would be free but if you're not-"/**

**/"I'm free tomorrow… ['Wait! No! I can't do this!'] … _NOT_! I-I do… have plans… actually."/**

**/"Oh. I… understand. … Nevermind then. I'll see if I can ask someone else instead?"/**

**/" _What?!_ I mean, uhm… okay. S-Sorry. Hope it goes well… _whatever it is_."/**

**/"A-Aa."/**

**/"T-Thanks."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

…

**/"Sakura?!"/**

**/"Oh. There you are-"/**

**/"Sak-!"/**

**/"That… was close."/**

**/"Oh I see. You were in the shower."/**

**/"A-Aa."/**

…

**/"Something wrong?"/**

**/"N-No. Nothing's wrong."/**

…

**/"Err… I… I had a bad reception. I was looking for a good signal!"/**

…

**/"EH?!"/**

**/"Everything okay back there?"/**

**/"Y-Yeah. Everything's fine. Sorry. I… uhm… just saw something really shocking."/**

…

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

Finally, Sakura remembered that time that he almost kissed her.

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please tr-*_

_*The number you dialed-*_

_*The number you-*_

_*The number*_

_*The num-*_

_*Th-*_

_*Th-*_

_*Th-*_

_*The number you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again later,*_

Sakura's right hand fall to her side. The light coming from her phone screen dies.

She was shaking as she stood in front of her study table. Her eyes were cast down on the floor, glued to where her tears had been falling. Her left hand was over her mouth, muffling the sound of her cries.

…

…

…

Suddenly her alarm went off.

Sakura slowly raised her phone.

'Wake-up-call:USasuke'

She stared into her phone screen for a good few seconds. She then wiped her tears with her forearm and turned off the alarm.

And then, she dialed Sasuke's number one more time.

To Sakura's surprise it connected.

Sasuke picked up after the second ring.

" _Sakura?"_

Sakura's eyes widened. She started crying again as she was extremely overwhelmed with joy and relief after hearing his voice.

" _Sakura?"_

"S-Sasuke-kun…", she whimpered.

" _What's wrong?!"_

-he sounded alarmed.

"Sasuke-kun…"

" _Aa. I'm here. I'm listening."_

"Sasuke-kun… I… I'm sorry~"

" _No. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. For everything."_

"I love you~"

" _..."_

"I love you _so much_."

" _Thank you. … I…"_

"I know. It's okay. I understand. _But_ … I still love you after all. I can't help it."

" _Aa."_

"I really, really love you."

" _Aa."_

Sakura sniffed and took a deep breath. "T-This is it… _righ_ t? … This is… goodbye."

" _A-Aa."_

"I'm really glad I got the chance to hear your voice again."

" _I feel the same way."_

"I think I'll be fine even if it's the last time."

" _You have to."_

"Uhn. I'll do my best here so~ You too."

" _I will."_

"Good luck with… _everything_."

" _Aa."_

"Stay healthy. Stay safe."

" _You too."_

"Be happy~ Sasuke-kun~"

" _I hope you find happiness as well."_

"G-Go… Goodbye~"

"…"

"Sasuke-kun?"

"… _goodbye…"_

Sakura shut her eyes tightly, allowing her tears to fall.

_~Beep~_

…

…

…

~ _You always knew me_

_Better than anyone else I'd ever met_

_And that's what threw me_

_I think I lost myself the day you left_

_We used to stay up just to watch the date change to something new_

_Another day where I would have you~_

Sakura slowly got down on her knees. When she was low enough, she flopped down on the floor. And just when she thought she was done crying, she suddenly broke down and wept silently.

~ _But how can it all change so fast_

_From everything to nothing just like that?~_

Life goes on.

Days passed…

Months passed…

The winter season came.

_~And all that time we'll never get back~_

Sakura puts on a red jacket before walking towards her dresser and checking if her hair was neatly kept under her headband.

~ _You know I was never scared of the end_

_Only the way I knew we'd pretend_

_Like you and I were never even friends~_

Sakura walked out of the door and ran out of their front yard. She waved to her father as she ran passed him while he was talking to an engineer in front of the bathhouse.

_~From talking every waking hour_

_To not knowing where you are now_

_We're Suddenly Strangers_

_Isn't it strange?~_

Sakura felt nostalgic as she saw the bus shelter coming up ahead. The bus comes to a stop and she had to go down.

Sakura lingered for a little while as she stared into the lone empty bench.

_~And in the space you used to sleep_

_Are all those vows we couldn't keep_

_We're Suddenly Strangers_

_Isn't it strange?~_

Sakura and her classmates were busy with the upcoming entrance exams. Sakura and Neji put up a study group to teach Naruto and Lee together. Ino and the others were more than willing to join.

Sakura can't help but glance at Sasuke's empty seat from time to time.

In fact, she seems to remember Sasuke everywhere.

In the gym.

By the vending machine.

In the infirmary whenever she would visit Rin and Karin.

She remembers Sasuke even when she would walked pass the men's restroom.

~ _I remember_

_The way you used to talk about your doubts_

_Like they were demons_

_I wonder if you still talk like that now~_

At the end of each day Sakura would eventually find herself at the all too familiar bus shelter. There are days when she was with Ino. Sometimes Ami and her friends would walk with her until they reach the overpass. Other times they would already be at the convenience store, waving at Sakura.

_~I used to say you were my home_

_But now the house is empty_

_And I'm sleeping alone~_

Ultimately, Sakura would be left alone as she waited for a bus. She would sometimes miss her bus just to be able to stay at the shelter longer. She always sat at the very end of the bench as if she had an invisible company.

_~From talking every waking hour_

_To not knowing where you are now_

_We're Suddenly Strangers_

_Isn't it strange?_

_And in the space you used to sleep_

_Are all those vows we couldn't keep_

_We're Suddenly Strangers_

_Isn't it strange?~_

Everyday Sakura is awoken by the same alarm. She always tries to delete her reminder once and for all but she could never bring herself to do so.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Naruto would often bring Sasuke up but whenever she was around everyone faintly talked about him.

Sakura would still hear news of Sasuke from Rin and sometimes even Karin but the more time passed the less they talked about him.

The last he heard of him was when Neji mentioned meeting him at a business convention over the winter break. According to Neji women were fussing over him and he was entertaining them warmly though it might be all for the purpose of keeping good relations.

~ _But how can it all change so fast_

_From everything to nothing just like that?_

_And all that time we'll never get back_

_You know I was never scared of the end_

_Only the way I knew we'd pretend_

_Like you and I were never even friends~_

Graduation soon came and Hinata finally mustered the courage to confess her feelings to Naruto.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura's parents met with Ino's parents for an awkward reunion when they had to send their daughter off to college. Ino was confused about the awkwardness the whole time until Sakura told her the whole story when they got on the train.

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

In Tokyo Sakura kept herself busy with college and her internship at Senju Hospital. She found herself surrounded by people. She was able to see Sasori again and they went out a couple of times just as Ino and Sasori's friend started dating.

The next time Sasori asked Sakura out, it was to introduce her to a girl.

_~From talking every waking hour_

_To not knowing where you are now_

_We're Suddenly Strangers~_

One day Sakura wakes up to her alarm and realized that she was ready to delete that reminder.

_~From talking every waking hour_

_To not knowing where you are now_

_We're Suddenly Strangers_

_Isn't it strange?_

_And in the space you used to sleep_

_Are all those vows we couldn't keep_

_We're Suddenly Strangers_

_Isn't it strange?~_

Sakura and Ino comes home to Konoha for a winter break.

On the way to the hospital, they chance on Suigetsu who looked like he was doing pretty well.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and Ino then met up with Karin who was standing outside the hospital with Kin Tsuchi and Tayuya. Karin was holding a bouquet of flowers.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The girls proceeded to a Karaoke bar where Temari, Tenten and Hinata were waiting for them. Inside the bar they saw Ami and her friends and both groups joined together to have a good time.

Every single one of them was aging well.

Hinata revealed an engagement ring and the girls were all too happy for her.

They started talking about their relationships and Ino was devastated with the fact that she and Sakura were the only ones who weren't in a relationship.

~ _You always knew me_

_Better than anyone else I'd ever met~_

Sakura herself was yearning to be with someone but more than that she was happy for her friends.

_Now we're Suddenly Strangers_

_Isn't it strange?_

_(SUDDENLY STRANGERS - Lauren Aquilina)~_

Sakura taps her phone to turn the music off. She slowly sat up and looked towards her wardrobe. A red coat and a light yellow shirt hung on the door handle ready for her to use that day.

Adjacent to her wardrobe was a cork board pinned on the wall directly above her desk. Sakura's eyes travelled from a note reminding her of a scheduled case study with Tsunade to another note reminding her to pick up a dress. Her eyes then darted down to her desk. Leaning on her framed college graduation picture with her parents was a wedding invitation.

Sakura got out of bed and proceeded to the bathroom. She moved the shower curtain aside-

* * *

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

 

Karin's veil was raised.

Sakura clapped along with the other cheering guests as Suigetsu sealed their vows with a kiss.

Naruto was grinning as he captured the emotional moment on video. Beside him was his wife Hinata who was very happy for the newlyweds.

Karin and Suigetsu ended the kiss then turned to their guests. They waved and smiled at everyone.

As they walked down from the altar, Karin was congratulated by her maid of honor, Ami and her two bridesmaids, Kin Tsuchi and Tayuya. Suigetsu on the other hand shook hands with his groomsmen, Juugo and Kimimaru then finally with his best man, Sasuke.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_Noir_ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_TBC_ **


	40. 9.1

**How about a recap?**

May:

30/Sat: The pairing is introduced/1.1-1.2

31/Sun: No event.

June:

01/Monday-06/Sat: Week 1/1.3-1.5

07-23: Nothing much to talk about.

24/Wed: "…Get home safe."

25/Thur: 'Someone' collapses

26-27: A few significant scenes at school/Getting his address

28/Sat: The dorm visit

29~03: meh…

July:

04/Sat: 2.4/WICKED GAME

05/Sun: Nope.

06/Mon: MIDNIGHT MOUTHS

07-08: ~

09/Thur: The 'friendly' date.

10/Fri: Phone call early in the morning.

11/Sat: ECHOES

12-18: Final Exams – but who wants to talk about that right?

19-24: ~

25/Sat: The day before summer break starts./4.1-4.4/WONDER

26/Sun: Birthday Party

27/Mon: First day of summer job

28/Tues: Struggle is real.

29/Wed: Encounter/OUT OF OUR DEPTH

30-31: Well, Sasori is back.

August:

01/Sat: They tried.

02/Sun: They realized.

(That's right. It shouldn't take long to fix a misunderstanding people! Unless it's on purpose!)

03-15: Careful consideration.

16/Sun: The calm before the storm.

17/Mon: Am/End of 7.5/HURT ANY LESS

17/Mon: Pm/8.1/ "I am titanium~"

18-29: OCEAN

30/Sun: "By all means, Keep it."

31/Mon: The only holiday she got (I gave) all summer. No event.

September:

01/Tuesday: Back to School! Well, not everyone. – LOW

02-04: ~

05/Sat: Just when you thought that book has lived its purpose.

06/Sun: MAMA says what?

07/Mon: SUDDENLY STRANGERS – If you do the math, ta-da~ 100 Days – I promised you cliché! I delivered!

**(9.1)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

" ** _It's not the same cologne."_**

**_Noir_ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

_~("We are about to begin the Dinner Reception so we ask everyone to make their way to the ballroom.")~_

A young woman with rose gold hair and green eyes walked painfully slowly as she made her way through the decorated arcade.

Sai, despite the smile on his face, was cocking his eyebrows at her as the five years old ring bearer who was carefully pushing a baby stroller walked past her. Even an old lady that needed the aid of a walker passed her with ease.

_("Please proceed to your respective seats and make your selves comfortable")_

_("Good evening ladies and gentleman, friends and loved ones.")_

_("Hello everyone~")_

_(" **Welcome to Karin and Suigetsu's Dinner Reception!~** ")_

_("Uzumaki Naruto here.")_

_("My name is Yamanaka Ino and we are…your masters of Ceremonies tonight.")_

_("The lovely bride and the other on- oof. I mean 'her husband'… err… the groom… would like to extend their thanks to those who were with us earlier for the wedding ceremony. To those who just joined us, Welcome~ and… Thank you for attending this celebration tonight.")_

_("Yes. Thank you for being with us today, especially to those who had to take a leave of absence from work and to those who had to travel miles away just to be here.")_

Sakura took forever to get to the door where Sai had been waiting for her. But if she thought her feet were heavy before, now it felt like it had just turned to stone. She couldn't get herself to step into ballhall of the Uzumaki ancestral estate.

"Miss Haruno.", Sai spoke through gritted teeth as he tried his best to keep his smile. "Pardon my rudeness but… I want you to know that for a while now, you look like someone who's been fighting the urge to go to the toilet. You're way too tense."

"Wh- Err- Tense?!" Sakura laughed sarcastically. " _Me?_ Why would I be tense?"

"Because the guy you once fell in love with~ is somewhere in there and you're not sure if you're ready or if you even want to talk to him after all this time."

"You know?!" Sakura felt embarrassed.

"Ino might've told me a bit about you and… the one that got away."

Sakura felt butterflies in her stomach. "I… may… actually have to _use the toilet_."

"No you _don't_." Sai chuckled but it was obvious that he was getting frustrated. "Listen, Ino gave me clear instructions to make sure you attend this dinner."

"All right, all right. Just give me a second to mentally prepare myself."

"Just think of it this way. The sooner we get in, the sooner you can take your seat. Then you can just try your best to keep a low profile from 'this guy' or… whatever."

Sakura blinked once.

_("Ladies and Gentlemen. Let us all welcome the bridal party. A warm round of applause for our hosts, the father of the bride, Mr. Uzumaki…")_

"We have to be quick if you want to be sitting down very soon and hidden within all these people.", added Sai.

Sakura never reacted so fast in her life. She suddenly grabbed on to Sai's arm and pulled him into the ballroom.

_("This time, let's put our hands together for the Maid of Honor, Ami…")_

"Where's table seven?", wondered Sakura as she practically dragged Sai along the sides of the room.

"I think it's…" Sai was quick to spot Shikamaru and the others. He took the lead and pulled Sakura towards their destination. " _Over there_!"

"But, that's where the bridal party is making their entrance." Sakura tried to slow Sai down. "Wait!"

"Now we come to our Best Man. Ladies and Gentlemen, or should I say, _Ladies~_ let's face it. Seeing his name on that invitation… He's the real reason why you gladly came to attend this event. It is indeed a rare occasion for this renowned billionaire bachelor to make an appearance in Japan yet he graced our humble town with his presence and you got my wonderful sister, tying the knot, to thank for it. Feast your eyes on the one, the only, Uchiha Sasuke.", announced Naruto. "That's right ladies. You heard it right. He's still very single and very available~"

The overly excited female guests roared as Sasuke makes his appearance – all the while glaring at Naruto.

It was then only a matter of seconds before Sasuke would look up front and see Sakura who wasn't that hard to spot because, apart from her vibrant hair color, she was wearing a celadon silk dress that made her stood out from the classy black or the white and violet motif that most of the guest went for.

She quickly let go of Sai's arm and turned on her heel. As she did though, a group of women who were very eager to see Sasuke up close bumped into her and she ended up accidentally being shoved aside. She thought that she felt the heel of her right pumps breaking and was afraid she would fall. Fortunately, she didn't cause a big scene thanks to Sai who desperately reached for her arm and prevented her from falling. The few people around them however can't help but stare and snigger at Sakura's inelegance.

Ino saw the whole thing and immediately went on with the program to prevent more people from taking notice of Sakura's predicament. "Let's now move on to the Bridesmaids and the Groomsmen."

_("Starting with the First Bridesmaid, we have Tayuya…")_

Sasuke who was quite familiar with the program realized that Ino was in a hurry to introduce those behind him, especially since he hasn't even walked past the entrance arch yet. He picked up on her unusual behaviour of alternately looking between her script and at a certain corner of the room while she introduced Tayuya and Kin Tsuchi consecutively.

He turned his attention towards the small commotion occurring not far away from him and recognized a fairly embarrassed Sakura – who was awkwardly clinging onto the arms of a man he had never seen before – as she made her way to her table.

"Sakura? Are you alright?", asked Temari as they reached their table.

Sakura waved her hand. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

"That was close.", noted Shikamaru. "Nice save there buddy."

Sai nodded and pulled out a chair for Sakura.

"T-Thanks.", Sakura told him. Before she could even take her seat however, she froze as she finally got a look at Sasuke who was also looking at her.

**['So much for keeping a low profile.']**

Not wanting to give people a reason to look at Sakura's direction and make her more anxious, Sasuke just looked onwards and continued on his way to the head table as Ino presented Jugo and Kimimaru.

Sakura released a breath she didn't know she was holding as soon as Sasuke wasn't looking at her anymore.

"Is everything really okay?", wondered Sai.

"I'm fine. But…" Sakura smiled awkwardly. "It seems like I got all worked up for nothing. Maybe seeing each other again isn't really as big a deal as I thought it would be. I mean, up until a few months ago I wasn't even expecting to see him ever again. And then… just now, he saw me- He looked at me and then walked away like… it was nothing."

"Or perhaps he just wasn't sure how to react to this." Sai stared at her hand that was still holding him for emphasis.

Sakura quickly drew her hand back and took her seat. "S-Sorry."

Sai took the seat between her and Choji's. "But maybe you're right. How long has it been? Seven? Eight years? Maybe you're the only one who's still unable to move on. Maybe he considers everything that occurred between the two of you as just a thing of the past now."

"Ino told you a bit, you say?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you know the whole story."

Sai only smiled to her in response.

Sakura turned to the other people seated with them. Choji, Shikamaru and Temari gave her a look of concern.

_("I assume that everyone has already settled down at this point.")_

Sakura sighed then turned her attention to the two hosts.

"I think we're ready to welcome the newlyweds.", announced Ino.

"So, without further ado~", Naruto boomed "Let us all rise and give our warmest welcome to our bride and groom. Ladies and gentlemen~"

"A big hand for Karin and Suigetsu!~", Ino and Naruto chorused.

The band plays 'Cut to the Feeling' by Carly Rae Jepsen.

Sakura rose along with the others as they welcome the couple in amusement.

...

_("Congratulations again to Suigetsu and Karin and best wishes to the both of you. Once again ladies and gentlemen, let's give a big round of applause for the new lovely couple.")_

Somewhere along the wide applause, Sakura found herself looking towards the head table.

At first she just stole a quick glance at Sasuke as he gave Ami, Tayuya and Kin Tsuchi curt nods as they commented about the couple's entrance. But when he got occupied with chatting with Jugo and Kimimaru who had just joined them on their table, she found her chance to take a good long look at him.

**['Maybe he'll also be that casual with me when we finally get the chance to talk. Maybe we won't even get the chance to talk to each other. Maybe we don't need to. Maybe there's nothing to talk about at all.']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"So, did you talk to him yet?"

Sakura lifted her gaze from her plate to Tenten who was sitting across her on table. She was wearing a pink qipao dress. Tenten was genuinely curious.

She then turned to the girl seated at Tenten's right. Hinata – who was wearing a white and lavender high neck sleeveless midi dress – seemed like she was very interested to know as well. She was glancing at Sakura as she held a bottle of milk to her infant boy that was lying on the stroller. The baby looked so much like Naruto.

She then looked at Temari and the boys for help but they all looked away and kept themselves busy with their food or something else.

Sakura swallowed the food she was chewing. "Err… I-"

"I want to feed Boruto.", said the young ring bearer – a dark-haired boy – that was seated next to the stroller beside Hinata.

"Very well, Minato." Hinata smiled at him. "Be careful okay?"

"I know what to do.", said Minato as he carefully relieved Hinata of the baby bottle.

The people at the table were taken by the cuteness of the two children.

Sakura noticed that Minato was stealing glances at her.

"Hi."

"Hello. My name is Minato." The boy told her then pointed at Naruto – who was eating while standing up as he and Ino were discussing the rest of the program with the newly wedded couple. "They named me after his father. I was born on the same day that he was."

"So I heard."

"I'm his reincarnation. So I have to look after my grandson."

"That's… _amazing_ and very sweet of you."

_("Minato!")_

Minato and Sakura turned towards Rin – who was wearing an elegant black off shoulder cocktail dress.

"Okaasan. You're late. You miss the wedding. You didn't see me bring the ring to the altar."

"Sorry, sweetheart. Okaasan couldn't just leave the hospital.", Rin said as she approached her son and kissed him on the forehead. She then turned to Hinata. "Sorry. Thanks for looking after him."

Hinata smiled. "It's no problem at all. If anything, he helps me by looking after Boruto. He's such a sweet boy."

"Hi Sakura. It's good to finally see you again.", Rin greeted as she took her seat between Sakura and Minato."

"Yes. You too. Uhm… Obito-san isn't with you?"

"No. He can't take the day off work unfortunately. I invited Kakashi too but he's also very busy. He recently just became the new principal of Konoha High school after all."

"Do you and Otoosan know her? Kakashi-ojisan too?"

"Yes sweetheart. You probably don't remember her. You were still a baby the last time she saw you.", Rin told her son while smiling at Sakura. She then noticed the man beside her. "And this is…"

"Oh. This is Sai." Sakura introduced them to one another. "Sai this is Rin. She used to be our school nurse when I was still in high school. She's a full time employee of the Uzumaki General hospital now."

"Hello. Nice to meet you.", said Sai.

"Hi. So~ Are you two… dating?", Rin reluctantly asked.

"Oh. No." / "We're not like that."

"He's uhm… Ino's…"

"I'm Ino's boyfriend.", Sai finished Sakura's sentence

"Oh. I see. Err… Speaking of Ino, I just remembered. I came with Dr. Yamanaka. He told me to tell you that he brought your luggage like you asked him to. It's on the trunk of his car. If you need it just approach him over at his table."

"Okay. Thank you."

"Why did you need your bag brought here? Are you no longer going back with Ino?", wondered Hinata.

"I… uhm… No.", Sakura answered. "I'm going directly to the train station, after I leave here. Early."

"You're not going to finish the dinner reception?"

"You're heading back to Tokyo so soon? Won't you stay in Konoha for at least one more day?" Tenten pleaded. "I would like for all of us to catch up with one another."

Temari nodded.

"I wish I could. Even my mentor was apologetic for suddenly asking me to go back so soon when this was the one and only time I asked for a leave of absence. _But_ , something important came up. This is really a very crucial year for me so~"

"I see. That can't be helped then. Perhaps another time.", thought Hinata.

"Yes. Next time I come back here, I'll make sure we can all hang out together like old times. For now, I'm really very sorry."

"Then Sakura…", Rin joined.

"Hm?"

Rin looked at the head table then turned back to Sakura. "Did you talk to Sasuke-kun yet?"

…

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura was still unable to respond properly when Karin and Suigestu threw the same question at her when they came over to their table for the souvenir picture.

"I'm going to get a drink." Sakura excused herself and walked towards the open bar. She felt a little wobbly as she stood up. It seems like her right heel was slightly cracked after all.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Oh! Hello~", Sakura greeted the bartenders. "Of course you would sponsor the drinks."

"It's wonderful to see you again, Sakura-chan.", said Orochimaru.

Kabuto who was serving someone else a drink smiled at her as well.

"So~ Did you and Sasuke-kun talked yet? What can I get you by the way?", asked Orochimaru.

"Uhm…"

_("Sakura-chan!~")_

Sakura turned and saw Tayuya and Kin Tsuchi approaching the bar.

"Hi~!", she greeted them as they went for a hug.

"It's good to see you. Oh good you let your hair grow out again.", noted Kin Tsuchi as she tucked some strands of Sakura's hair behind her ear. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. I-"

"Sasuke's over there.", said Tayuya. "Did you two talked yet? Come over and say 'hi'."

"M-Maybe… _later?_ "

**.**

**.**

**.**

On her way back from the bar;

"It's Sakura-chan!", boomed Kidomaru.

"HEY~" / "Sakura-chan~!" / "Come here!" / "We missed you!" /

Sakura couldn't help but to go over to their table and greet everyone else that she used to work with at Otogakure.

The smile on her face vanished as she got there because Zaku threw the dreaded question at her way.

"So~ Sasuke? He talked to you yet?"

**['Why is that all that everyone cares about?']**

**.**

**.**

**.**

'Did you talk to him yet?' was the new 'Hello. How are you?'. That's what Sakura concluded.

Sakura let out a sigh as she looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. She was exhausted and it's showing on her face.

She then noticed the bathroom stall behind her opening.

Ami came out. "Sakura!"

"Ami! Hi~"

"Hi. You know, if you told the 'me' from back in high school that I would be the Maid of Honor at Karin's wedding someday, I probably wouldn't believe it." Ami told her as she approached the vanity to wash her hands. "Isn't it funny how life works?"

"Ehehe~ Indeed."

"Hm~ … It's probably not any of my business but… Did you and Sasuke have the chance to talk yet?"

Sakura fell silent. She tried her best to keep the smile on her face though.

Ami smiled gently at her. "You have the same reaction as Sasuke. Whenever someone asked him about you, he also suddenly gets quiet."

**['Eh?']**

"H-He does?"

"Yep.", confirmed Ami as she started drying her hands. "You know what I think?"

"Huh?"

"I think that silence only means that the both of you actually think about each other quite a lot. You have way too many thoughts about one another so you don't know where to start talking about each other. Or maybe you're both just too afraid to start talking because you wouldn't know how to stop."

Sakura carefully considered what Ami said.

"I'll go ahead first. See you around.", said Ami before leaving Sakura alone in the bathroom.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura stepped out of the restroom.

Naruto appeared from behind her. "Sakura-chan! Hey, did you-"

"No Naruto! NO!" Sakura stomped her right foot so hard on the floor. "For the hundredth time, no! _No,_ I haven't talked to Uchiha Sasuke yet! You know he and I-"

Sakura was stunned when she turned around and realized that Sasuke was right behind Naruto all along.

"I- I was actually going to ask you 'if you had cake yet?' Now… If you'll both excuse me, I think you two have something you want to say to each other.", said Naruto before awkwardly slipping into the restroom.

…

Sakura's right hand flew over her mouth while Sasuke placed both his hands inside his pocket. They waited patiently for Naruto – who kept his eyes intently on them until the very last moment – to ultimately shut the door closed.

Sasuke cleared his throat and Sakura was freed from her stillness.

"I… uhm…" Sakura's initial reaction was to shy away. She took a step back with her right foot and that is exactly when the whole heel of her pumps came off. "Ack!~"

Sasuke was way too far away to reach her in time.

The good news, Sasuke was the only one who witnessed her fall. The bad news however, he saw more than just that.

Sasuke was definitely caught off guard. He tilted his head subconsciously to the left, unable to look away until Sakura straightened her dress in a frantic manner.

Sakura attempted to get up and that's when Sasuke's brain finally started working again.

He quickly moved towards her and offered her his hand.

"T-Thank you. S-Sorry you had to… see _all that_." Sakura didn't hesitate to accept the help. She got on her feet and held onto him for support as she tried to find her balance.

**['This brings back memories.']**

"I- It's… I don't think it's repairable." Sasuke suddenly commented on her shoes just to talk about something else.

"Tsk!" Sakura was irritated as she made a move to pick up the severed heel.

Sasuke can't help but raised an eyebrow as Sakura held his forearm tightly, almost pulling him down with her as she bent her knees. She was way too comfortable with him. Especially with how her hands slid up all the way to his shoulders as she straightened her back then made a move to remove both her shoes right then and there so she could be more comfortable.

Sakura suddenly noticed something. "It's not the same cologne.", she thought out loud.

"Huh?" Sasuke was taken aback. "I-"

Both of them were suddenly blushing.

Sakura finally realized how close the two of them were and quickly let go of him. She then slowly stepped away from Sasuke. "Did you ta- I mean… _How. Are. You._ How are you? Err… Hi. Nice to see you again by the way.", she started over and held a hand out to him only to withdrew the hand immediately after noticing how Sasuke blinked from her face to her hand and back to her face again. "Right. That was stupid."

"I'm good. You?" Sasuke went ahead with the conversation.

"Good! Me too! I'm good too!"

It was very obvious to Sasuke how much Sakura just wanted to slap herself for that unwitty response. It made him smile. "I'm glad."

"Hm?"

"I'm glad that you're doing fine."

"Oh." Sakura realized that she was about to cover her mouth so she immediately placed both her hands behind her and clasp them together instead. She then allowed Sasuke to witness her smile. "Y-Yeah."

…

Naruto cleared his throat.

The two of them turned towards the door and found that it was slightly open. "Is this a good time to get out yet?", asked Naruto as he peeked through the door.

"Yes. Dobe. Just get out here already."

"Cool!" Naruto made a move to get out of the restroom. "Cause you know, I got to get back to that dinner reception and so do you."

**.**

**.**

**.**

The guests who were unacquainted with Sakura couldn't possibly guess why some people including those that were seated at the head table and even the two bartenders were suddenly rejoicing as if they weren't already in a celebration to begin with.

They showed their exuberance in various ways but they were all smiling from ear to ear as Sakura walked through the doors, holding onto Sasuke's arm.

Sakura was extremely self-conscious but not because she was limping but because she knows that her friends are finding her current situation very amusing.

Sasuke supported Sakura, who was desperately trying to walk as properly as she could despite her now asymmetrical pair of footwear, all the way to her table. As they approach the table, its occupants turned down their exhilaration and restrained their giggles until finally they were suddenly very quiet.

…

"Sasuke-nii~.", Minato broke the awkward silence.

"Hi Sasuke-kun.", Rin followed suit.

Hinata and the others nodded at him while Sai got up and adjusted Sakura's chair.

"Thanks Sai." Sakura slowly lowered herself on the chair. "Uhm... Sasuke-k- U- ... Sasuke. This is Sai. Sai, Sasuke.", she introduced them to one another.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded.

"I'm Ino's boyfriend.", Sai told Sasuke with a smile. "She's single."

Sakura's mouth hung agape as she turned to Sai.

"A-Aa."

Everyone else in that table, apart from the sleeping infant and Minato, tried to suppressed their smile.

"Erm... Sai." Sakura widened her eyes at him. "Can I trouble you to ask Ino to get me my only other pair of shoes?"

"Yes sure."

"I'll do it.", said Sasuke as he patted the head of Minato. "She's right there by the head table. I'm going there now."

"O-Okay then. Thank you very much."

"Hn.", grunted Sasuke before leaving.

…

…

…

As soon as Sasuke was gone, Sakura moved her plate of cake aside before leaning forward on the table to hide her face from everyone.

Choji cleared his throat and was about to say something but-

"Don't say it." Without looking up, Sakura raised her pointer finger at his direction. "Don't say anything. Please."

…

"Ladies and gentlemen~ A moment's pause.", Naruto resumed the ceremonies. "We would like to invite everyone to raise their glasses to the Bride and Groom as we wish them good health and happiness."

Sakura sat up straight as the waiter came to their table to serve them their wine. She then looked at Sasuke who had just passed Ino the message. Ino nodded at him before making her way to the table where her father was seated.

"May we call on the best man – _who was also the best man at my wedding_ _by the way. I highly recommend him. He gives expensive presents and he keeps his speech short_ – Mr. Uchiha Sasuke, please lead the champagne toast.", continued Naruto.

Everyone clapped their hands for Sasuke as he made his way to Naruto who then handed him the microphone.

"Good evening.", he started – his modulated voice causing a lot of women to scream. "Hn, I really don't get why I keep getting asked to be someone's best man since I'm _that guy_ who hardly stay in touch with friends. Anyway, Suigetsu pestered me saying I was the only man for the job… He meant it. _Literally_. I was his roommate for less than four months by the way. That was before I move to the States... About eight years ago. But, I said yes and here I am so, I might as well... Now what would be the worst thing I can say about him? About _them_? Let's see. Suigetsu and Karin. What can I say about this couple? Well. One is a jealous, overzealous, obsessed, fangirl. And the other one is Karin. And… I don't know why you're all laughing when I'm very serious.", Sasuke was speaking in a nonchalant tone the whole time.

Sasuke sighed. "Okay, jokes aside… Suigetsu is nothing but a good man. Like any of us, he isn't perfect. But unlike most of us, his imperfections is what makes him the good man that I know he is. He's only serious flaw would be his lack of judgement in choosing a friend. But hey, if he can get even a guy like me to make the effort to come to his wedding… that's got to stand for something, right?" Sasuke raised his glass to the couple. "Karin. I'm sure everyone will agree you two make a lovely couple. You're both very lucky to have found each other. I'm absolutely happy for the both of you."

The couple smiled to Sasuke before looking at each other dearly.

Sasuke then turned to everyone else. "That's all I got for you now. Everyone, I invite you to stand up and join me in toasting the bride and groom on what I'm sure will be a very long and happy marriage."

Everyone stood up and raised their glass.

"To Suigetsu and Karin.", Sasuke commenced the toast.

"Cheers~!", the mass made the toast and drank from their glasses.

"Goodnight.", said Sasuke before handing the microphone back to Naruto.

"Thank you everyone. You may now be seated.", announced Naruto.

…

"You're still in love with him." Ino suddenly appeared beside Sakura.

Sakura was startled. She finally looked away from Sasuke and turned towards Ino who was holding out her travel shoe bag.

"I…" Sakura accepted the bag and realized that she was still standing up while everyone else was already seated. "Thank you." Sakura immediately flopped down on her seat and made a move to change her shoes.

"Okaasan?" Minato suddenly spoke. "Is she and Sasuke-nii~ like you and Otoosan? Are they going to get married too?"

Sakura felt like she was punched in the gut.

Rin smiled at Minato. "Sweetheart, err… why don't you… Maybe you can go with…" Rin's eyes found Choji. "Choji! To the buffet table."

Choji looked at his plates which were obviously still filled with food. He then surveyed everyone around him and came to a realization. "Oh."

He immediately got up. "Come on little man. Let's see if we can get you more cake."

"No thanks." Minato got off his chair. "But I'll go over to Sasuke-nii~ instead. I'll ask him if he's going to marry Sakura-ne~"

"Huh?! Wait. Minato!", Rin tried to stop her.

Choji sat back down.

They all watched in horror as Minato ran towards the head table.

"Whoops. This may be my fault.", said Ino.

Sakura glared at Ino. "Do something!"

Ino seemed like she thought of something. "Right. I got an idea.", she announced.

"Hurry!", Sakura blurted.

"Leave it to me!" Ino quickly left them to run after Minato.

…

Sasuke felt someone was tugging on his sleeve so he turned and found Minato right beside him. He then stood up from his chair and carried Minato up in his arms.

Sakura wanted to disappear on the face of the Earth then and there when she saw Minato leaned closer to whisper something in Sasuke's ear. Sasuke's surprise was very obvious. Minato then pointed at their table.

Everyone in table seven quickly looked away and pretended to be minding their own business in an attempt to not get caught by Sasuke. Rin placed her hand over her mouth as she was very troubled by what her son has done.

"Ino's talking to him!", Sai observed.

Sakura quickly looked back at the head table and saw that Ino was in fact, talking to Sasuke.

Ino was smiling the whole time he talked to Sasuke. Minato asked Sasuke to put him down and so Sasuke obliged. Soon, Ino was gesturing her thumb towards Sakura.

Everyone around Sakura could empathize with her, when she let out a sigh of relief.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	41. 9.2

**(9.2)**

**WANDERLUST**

" ** _How's your girlfriend?"_**

Sakura watched as couples dance to the music. Karin and Suigetsu were at the very center of the dancefloor.

Ino and Naruto came over to get Sai and Hinata to dance with them.

Sai quickly obliged while Hinata was hesitant to leave Boruto.

Rin however assured her that it was okay to leave the sleeping baby to her. After Hinata gratefully accepted her offer, Rin stood up and called a very sleepy Minato to follow her as she began pushing the baby stroller towards the exit.

Hinata excused herself from the table then and allowed Naruto to lead her towards the dance floor.

Sakura was then left alone on the table. She looked in the direction of the bar where Shikamaru and Temari had started their own drinking game. Sakura sighed. Even Choji and Tenten found something interesting to talk about over at the buffet table.

When she turned her attention back on the dance floor, she saw Sasuke asking Suigetsu for permission to dance with Karin. Suigetsu gave them his consent then stepped away. Suigetsu then spotted her.

The next thing Sakura knew, Suigetsu was walking towards her.

…

"Yo!", Suigetsu greeted her.

"Hey. Congratulations on getting hitched."

"Thanks." Suigetsu grinned. "So… Want to dance?"

"I…"

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sorry.", said Suigetsu as she led Sakura in dancing the waltz.

"For what?", wondered Sakura. She was doing her best to match Suigetsu's rhythm.

"Getting married ahead of you." Suigetsu spun her round.

"W-" Sakura waited until she was facing Suigetsu again. "Why would you apologize for something like that?"

"You know…" Suigetsu led her to the left. "I really thought that you would be the first to get married. _Among all your friends._ "

"Just what kind of girl do you take me for?" By then Sakura was already getting the hang of the dance. "Love and relationships and getting hitched is not all that women think about you know."

"Yeah, but I thought, you would've found someone by now." Suigetsu continued leading her through the other dancing couples. "It's been almost eight years. Sasuke is my friend but… You deserve to be happy. And you know that he feels the same way."

Sakura kept up with ease. " _Thank you_ but, just because I'm not getting married soon doesn't mean I'm not happy! So, don't you dare feel sorry for me!"

Suigetsu fell silent.

"I don't want to get into a relationship just to have someone by my side.", continued Sakura. "Ever heard of this quote? 'Marriage is not about finding a person you can live with, it's about finding the person you can't live without.' "

Suigetsu smiled as he blinked from Sakura to Karin and back to Sakura again. "I totally agree. In fact, I don't think I can take a few more seconds being apart from Karin."

"Huh?"

"So~ Excuse me _but_ … I would like to have my wife back. I brought you a new dance partner though."

Sakura then realized that Suigetsu had led her to the center of the dance floor and had just requested Sasuke to change partners.

Karin stepped away from Sasuke at the exact same time Suigetsu let go of Sakura.

The newly wedded couple then reached for each other's hand and danced away with a victorious smile on each of their faces.

Sakura's initial reaction was to avoid eye contact with the man she was left alone with. At the same time, she looked around her for a way out but there was none. The dance floor was suddenly crowded with people that she was imprisoned within that particular spot with Sasuke.

A new song starts playing.

…

…

…

"Well, we're stuck here.", said Sasuke.

Sakura finally looked at him.

"I don't know about you but I don't want to look stupid by just standing here in the middle of the dance floor when there's obviously someone available to dance with right in front of me."

~ _The first time that I saw you_

_Looking like you did_

_We were young_

_We were restless_

_Just two clueless kids_

_But if I knew then_

_What I know now_

_I'd fall in love_ ~

Sasuke held his right hand out to her.

Sakura took it in spite of herself.

Sasuke slowly pulled her closer and carefully placed Sakura's left hand on his shoulder. He then placed his right hand on her waist as he reached for her right hand with his left.

And so they dance.

~ _You're on a bus in Chicago_

_Three rows to the left_

_You know my heart_

_Is reaching for you_

_But we never even met_

_If I knew then_

_What I know now_

_I'd fall in love_ ~

At first, Sakura tried her best to avoid looking into Sasuke's eyes but when she got too uncomfortable whenever she ends up meeting her friend's gaze she eventually settled to only look at him.

It took only a few seconds for her to get lost in his eyes.

~ _'cause love only comes_

_Once in a while_

_And knocks on your door_

_And throws you a smile_

_And takes every breath_

_Leaves every scar_

_Speaks through your soul_

_And sings to your heart_

_But if I knew then_

_What I know now_

_I'd fall in love_

_On a summer night_

_In august_

_Backseat of my car_

_Said I'm trying to get_

_To know you_

_I took it way to far_

_But if I knew then_

_What I know now_

_I'd fall in love_

_..._

_'cause love only comes_

_Once in a while_

_And knocks on your door_

_And throws you a smile_

_And takes every breath_

_Leaves every scar_

_Speaks through your soul_

_And sings to your heart_

_But if I knew then_

_What I know now_

_I'd fall in love_

...

_I used up_

_A lot of chances_

_But you give them back_

_But if again_

_It comes crawling_

_Im gonna make it last_

_'cause love only comes_

_Once in a while_

_And knocks on your door_

_And throws you a smile_

_It takes every breath_

_Leaves every scar_

_Speaks through your soul_

_And sings to your heart_

_But if I knew then_

_What I know now_

...

_If I knew then_

_What I know now_

_I'd fall in love_

_(IF I KNEW THEN -Lady Antebellum)~_

…

…

…

…

**/'The hearts of a man and woman in love will begin to synchronize after the couple has gazed into each other's eyes for three minutes.'/**

…

**['Are our hearts… synchronize?']**

Sakura's hands slip from Sasuke's.

Sasuke exhaled heavily as she slowly drags her hand towards his chest.

And then something inside Sasuke's chest pocket vibrated.

Sakura froze. She blinked from Sasuke to his chest pocket and back to Sasuke again. She then drew her hand back as Sasuke pulled out a micro smart phone from the pocket.

"T-That was erm… an alarm."

"Oh. I…" Sakura took a step back. "Sorry. What time is it?"

"Hn. It's ah less than a quarter to eight."

"I… I have to… I have to get ready to leave. I have to catch the 9:15 train back to Tokyo." Sakura slowly move away from Sasuke. "Thank you for the dance. … I-It was nice to see you again. G-Goodnight."

When Sakura turned around, she felt like she had betrayed herself. As she slowly walked away from Sasuke, each step that she took felt like a stab to her heart. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she had found the strength to leave.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura walked out of the main entrance of the Uzumaki ancestral house, accompanied by Naruto, Karin and Suigetsu.

"Thank you for coming Sakura. It means the world to me that you took time off from your very busy schedule to be here.", said Karin.

"Yeah. We really appreciate it.", added Suigetsu.

Sakura stopped and turned to the couple. "It's no trouble. I was very glad to be here. I'm really sorry I can't stay longer."

Karin gave Sakura a hug and Suigetsu offered her a handshake.

"Once again, Congratulations. Good luck and Happy honeymoon."

"Thank you~", said the couple.

"Naruto." Sakura turned to the other guy. "Thanks for the hospitality."

"You're always welcome here, you know that. Visit us whenever you have the chance. I'm just going to be here. _Oh!_ Give him my regards, will you?

"Yes. Of course. He'll be glad to hear from you. … By the way Naruto, I… I'm really sorry I couldn't attend your wedding. Please tell Hinata as well."

Naruto waved his hand. "I already forgave you since you attended Karin's wedding. Nah~ I'm just kidding. I never held a grudge against you to begin with Sakura-chan. I couldn't possibly. As for Hinata, just come home to Konoha as much as you can and spend some time with her. She would really appreciate that. Karin too. Right?"

Karin nodded. "Don't work too hard now. Stay healthy. See you again soon."

"Yeah."

"Oh. Ino's here.", Naruto informed them.

Sakura turned around and was taken aback when she saw Ino walking towards her while holding a red coat. Sai was just behind her carrying Sakura's luggage. "Err… Ino? I don't mean to sound demanding and I know I'm only asking for a favor but… Where's the car?"

"Sorry Forehead. Dad is buzzed and Shikamaru is intoxicated thanks to Temari challenging him to that stupid little drinking game. They'll need some time to sober up and if you wait for them you won't make it in time for that train.", explained Ino as she handed Sakura her coat. "But don't worry! The Uzumakis got their best driver ready to take you back downtown and all the way to the train station."

"Really?", Sakura turned back to Naruto.

"Yep. He's bringing the car around as we speak." Naruto told her.

"Oh. Thank you. I hope he's okay with it, being this sudden and all."

"Don't worry about it." Suigetsu assured her. "Driving is part of his duties. Why else did we ask him to stay sober?"

At this point Sakura noticed that everyone had a mischievous smile.

…

"We're ready." Rin appeared behind Karin and the others. She was carrying her sleeping son and had her coat over him like a blanket.

"Rin. Are you leaving as well?", wondered Sakura.

"Y-Yes." Rin looked puzzled. "You're riding with us, right?"

As if on cue, Sasuke's car pulled over in front of them.

Sakura quickly turned to the other people present there. She narrowed her eyes at them.

"Hey. Isn't it about time for the bouquet throwing?", said Naruto as he started backing into the house.

"R-Right.", Ino remembered. "We should head back and resume the program."

"Come on you two. What kind of dinner reception is this if both the bride and groom aren't around for their guests?", Naruto called the couple to retreat with them.

"Drive safe Sasuke. Take your time. We won't need you back here so soon." Suigetsu gave Sakura a wink before turning around.

"It's all up to you now Teme!", Naruto yelled back.

Karin and Ino were giggling as they followed behind the boys.

"I'll just leave this here." Sai put Sakura's luggage near Sasuke's car. "Good luck.", she told Sakura before following everyone inside.

**['Seriously! These people!']**

Sakura heard Sasuke get out of his car.

She turned around and found him making a move to put her luggage into his trunk.

"Oh. Here. Let me." Sakura ran to him.

"It's okay. I got it.", Sasuke assured her.

"I'm sorry to trouble you like this."

"It's fine. Hope you don't mind a quick stop." Sasuke motioned for Rin and Minato. "We'll just drop them off then head straight for the station."

"Oh. It's fine. We still have time."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you catch your train."

"T-Thank you."

Sasuke closed his trunk then made a move to open the car door for Rin.

Rin walked towards the car. "Thank you."

Sakura watched as Rin laid Minato carefully into the backseat.

"You seat in front Sakura.", Rin told her then got into the car herself.

"Eh?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasuke drove out of the Uzumaki property.

The ambience in the car was awkward.

Sakura was looking at Rin through the rear view mirror.

Rin had Minato using her lap as his pillow. She patted the boy's head as she hummed the tune of the very same song Sakura and Sasuke was dancing to earlier.

Rin realized that Sakura's attention was on her. "I heard them play this song all the way back from the guess room a while ago. It had a very lovely melody. I got it stuck in my head."

Sakura just smiled at her despite the awkwardness.

"That was a foreign singer. Did you pick that song Sasuke-kun?", asked Rin.

"A-Aa." Sasuke looked at Sakura at the same time she looked at him.

They both exchanged awkward smiles before looking away. Sasuke returned his focus on the road and Sakura looked out of the window.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasuke held the door open for Rin.

Rin carefully lifted Minato off her lap and got down the car. She picked up her purse and her coat and hung it over her shoulder. She then went back for Minato.

…

"Thank you. Drive safe okay.", Rin told Sasuke as she adjusted Minato on her arms. She then turned to Sakura. "Goodnight Sakura. Keep in touch."

"Goodnight." Sakura waved at Rin.

Rin turned around then and walked towards their house.

…

Sasuke closed the door to the back of the car and got back into the driver's seat. He then closed his door and drove out of the Uchiha compound.

…

Sakura felt very uncomfortable with the silence. "Uhm… Can we… play some music?"

"Huh?", Sasuke pardoned.

Sakura reached for the touch screen car stereo and tapped the play before Sasuke could even give his consent.

_~…Nothing's gonna hurt as much_

_As that final touch_

_No we can't be friends_

_'Cause I don't think I could take seeing you_

_And knowing where we've been_

_I hope you understand~_

Sasuke realized what song was playing and hope that Sakura can't understand the words. But then he remembered that Sakura was a smart girl.

_~Nothing more to say_

_Nothing left to break_

_I keep reaching out for you_

_Hoping you might stay_

_Nothing more to give_

_Nothing left to take_

_I keep reaching out for you_

_Reaching out for you_

_As you turn away~_

Sasuke glanced at Sakura and saw how stunned she was from hearing the lyrics of the song.

_~One step my heart is breaking_

_One more my hands are shaking_

_The door is closing_

_And I just can't change-~_

Sasuke finally made a move to turn the music off. It was awkward between them before but now it just got worse.

Sakura just couldn't look at him again after that.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasuke carried Sakura's luggage all the way up to railway platform despite her protest. He had taken off his tuxedo jacket and waistcoat by then.

"8:57.", He informed her as he set her luggage down beside her. "See. You made it. With a few minutes to spare."

"Y-Yeah. Thank you. Really." Sakura told him. "So uhm… W-When are you going back to the States?"

"Tomorrow. I'm taking the same plane as Suigetsu and Karin."

"Oh. S-So soon."

"Yes."

"Then I guessed we won't be seeing much of you again for quite a while. _They._ They won't be seeing much of you. I… I'm not imp- … I'm almost never around myself. Uhm… H-How's work by the way?"

"Fine."

"How's your grandfather?"

"He's okay. Still very strong."

"How's…"

"Sakura."

"How's your girlfriend?"

"Hn?"

"Come on now." Sakura chuckled. "Y-You don't really expect us to believe that you're still single after all this time, did you? I mean, that you were _single_. Just single. Why would I assume that you were single 'all this time'? But that doesn't matter! That's not the point. The point is that you're really not. Right?"

**['Oh my god! It's happening again. I'm as awkward as ever.']**

"Actually I am. Single."

"Really? I mean, _Oh._ "

"At the moment."

"Oh." Sakura pressed her lips together. "A- At the moment? You mean like… Just this moment? Like you… won't be _for long_?"

"If things go well that is."

"So you're interested in someone?"

"Yes."

**['I see. He already has someone he likes after all.**

…

**/"…How long has it been? Seven? Eight years? Maybe you're the only one who's still unable to move on. Maybe he considers everything that occurred between the two of you as just a thing of the past now."/**

…

**Of course he does.']**

"But, I'm not confident enough to ask her out yet.", Sasuke added.

"Why would you be… Who wouldn't want yo- That girl would be stupid to say no to you."

"She's not stupid."

"No. Of course. I don't mean to bad mouth the girl you like. I meant-"

"I know what you mean."

"…"

"I'm just afraid that she hasn't moved on yet. A very horrible jerk broke her heart once. She might not be ready to be in a relationship again just yet. I heard she's not interested to date anyone as of now."

"Oh. That is… very..."

**['I know exactly how she feels.']**

"Then you'll just have to be patient with her, I guess. If you truly like her that is."

Sasuke nodded. "I plan on giving her all the time she needs."

Sakura smiled at him.

**['What a lucky girl. She better not break Sasuke-kun's heart.']**

"…You."

"I'm sorry what?", Sakura pardoned.

"You? How's your… heart? I mean are you…"

"Oh I'm- I'm okay. Well, I'm not 'in a relationship' yet but… my friends… They are really keen on introducing me to… someone… I- I think I'm going to go for it."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Why not? They're my friends. They wouldn't… I think they would look out for me."

Sasuke nodded.

_("A train will be arriving shortly at platform 2. Please stand behind the yellow line.")_

Sakura bowed to Sasuke in gratitude.

_("A train will be arriving shortly at platform 2. Please stand behind the yellow line.")_

"It really was nice to see you again after all this time."

"Aa."

…

…

…

~ _Who am I to tell you_

_That you should stay_

_When you're searching for the heat wave_

_And I am the rain_

_Who am I to warn you_

_When I'm what you're running from_ ~

The train arrives.

"Thanks again."

"Aa."

_~'Cause I've done nothing wrong, but I'll never be right_

_So who am I to put up such a fight_ ~

Sakura waited for the doors to open before picking up her luggage and stepping into the train. She then turned around to look at Sasuke once again. "Well then, Goodbye."

"Hn."

~ _Your heart is filled with wanderlust_

_Desire to go elsewhere_

_It isn't me, I'm not the one to take you there_

_And I know you'll be happy_

_And eventually I'll be fine_

_But for now I'll grit my teeth through the goodbye_ ~

The door closes.

Sasuke stepped back.

_~This is what you want and_

_I put you first_

_I'd rather be your second_

_Than be your worst_

_Prioritize your feelings and you won't get hurt_

_It's not like mine deserve any worse~_

The train moves.

_~Your heart is filled with wanderlust_

_Desire to go elsewhere_

_It isn't me, I'm not the one to take you there_

_And I know you'll be happy_

_And eventually I'll be fine_

_But for now I'll grit my teeth through the goodbye~_

Sakura sighed as soon as she couldn't see Sasuke anymore.

~ _Your heart is filled with wanderlust_

_Desire to go elsewhere_

_It isn't me I'm not the one to take you there_

_And I may not understand it_

_But eventually I'll be fine_

_But for now I'll grit my teeth_ ~

Soon, the train has left the station but Sakura remained where she was. She gazed out of the glass panel as the train leaves Konoha.

~ _Your heart is filled with wanderlust_

_Desire to go elsewhere_

_It isn't me, I'm not the one to take you there_

_And I know you'll be happy_

_And eventually I'll be fine_

_But for now I'll grit my teeth through the goodbye_

_(WANDERLUST - Lauren Aquilina)_ ~

**.**

**.**

**.**

For those who are not familiar with the song that played in Sasuke's car, it's called "As You Turn Away" by Lady Antebellum.


	42. 9.3

**(9.3)**

**WAY TOO GOOD**

**_"I might as well give him a chance."_ **

_~All too good, it's all too good_

_Half empty bottles of wine on my sink, and I am, I am_

_Far too gone, way too gone, I cannot think and I don't even care_

_No I don't_

_Wish that we could stay in this for life_

_Wish we could remain in this but I_

_I know better_

_Everything is way too good, way too good now_

_If nothing is meant to last, maybe we should drink to that_

_Cause it's way too good, way too good now_

_Morning's gonna come so fast, pour another drink in my glass_

_On the balcony, looking at the city_

_Everything seem to be so far away and I know, I know_

_It's all too good, all too good_

_You look at me like tomorrow could wait, lost in a haze_

_Wish that we could stay in this for life_

_Wish we could remain in this but I_

_I know better_

_Everything is way too good, way too good now_

_If nothing is meant to last, maybe we should drink to that_

_Cause it's way too good, way too good now_

_Morning's gonna come so fast, pour another drink in my glass_

_Don't need anything else, I don't wanna cry anymore tears_

_For everything, everything I've wasted_

_Don't need anything else, cause we got it all as long as we're here_

_But everything, everything is changing_

_Everything is way too good, way too good now_

_If nothing is meant to last, maybe we should drink to that_

_Cause it's way too good, way too good now_

_Morning's gonna come so fast, pour another drink in my glass_

_Cause it's way too good, way too good now_

_If nothing is meant to last, pour another drink in my glass_

_Pour another drink in my glass_

_(WAY TOO GOOD - Lauren Aquilina)_ ~

Sakura sat on her balcony. She had her back on the wall and was looking at the night sky.

She then looked down on the busy street through the balusters as a cab pull up in front of her apartment. Ino and Sai got out of the car.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura could tell how enthusiastic Ino was with how heavy and rushed her footsteps were.

Ino quickly made her way to the common area of their two bedroom apartment. "Sakura!", she called.

Sakura sighed. "I'm out here."

"So, how was it? How did it go?" Ino appeared by the door with a very optimistic smile. "What did you two talk about-"

The smile on Ino's face slowly fades as she found Sakura with a glass of whisky in hand. She also had her hair cut short again, this time even shorter than the last time. She now had her hair in a jaw length bob.

Sakura gave her a weak smile as she tucks the short length of hair behind her ear. "It's over. This time it really is."

Ino immediately shifted to her sympathetic mode as she walked out into the balcony. She then joined Sakura, sitting down beside her. "You want to talk about it?", asked Ino as she adjusted her floral dress.

Sakura set her glass down and made a move to share her blanket with Ino, revealing that she was only wearing an old oversized t-shirt and a pair of sweat shorts. "He was planning to ask someone out."

"He was?", Ino looked confused.

Sai peered at them through the door but maintained his distance.

"I was stupid to hope that if we saw each other again then maybe… maybe we'd get another chance. Sai was right. It's been almost eight years. Of course he's found someone by now and I'm really glad he did. I'm happy for him.", added Sakura. "Now that I think about it, what was I expecting if he hadn't? It's not like we could get into a serious relationship. I-I'm a committed intern at the biggest hospital in Tokyo and he's a hard working tycoon based in the U.S. It's impossible. This is- W-We're- It's not meant to be."

"But… the way he looked at you? The- That bastard! What was he planning to do with you then? A one night stand? His 'booty call' whenever he's here in Japan? As if he doesn't already have tons of those." Ino was furious and then she realized something. "Oh. My. Gosh. _Forehead_ , I… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. To think we almost helped the guy score with you. Nothing happened right? He didn't… You didn't…"

Sakura shook her head.

Ino was relieved but she was still angry. "I'm going to kill him the next time I see him. I'm going to call Naruto and Karin and-"

"I don't think he meant to do anything with me Ino." Sakura assured her.

"I think she's right." Sai agreed. "If he did, he wouldn't have ruined his chance to have his way with Sakura by telling her that he's interested in somebody else."

"But, what if that asshole thought that he could land Sakura without a serious commitment? What if he thought that Sakura would just keep herself available for him even if he sees other woman?, argued Ino.

"Ino. It's as you said earlier, you and your friends were the ones who kept pushing them together that night. He wouldn't have been able to dance with her if it weren't for the groom. And he wouldn't have driven her to the train station if you didn't ask him to."

"Err…"

"Besides if he wanted to take advantage of Sakura, he would've made the most of his time alone with her. Instead he had her ride together with two other people."

"Okay. You have a point.", Ino conceded "Maybe he really was just… not interested in Sakura, like we assumed. We are at fault."

Ino turned to Sakura and started cuddling her. "I'm sorry Sakura. Please be okay. Don't be sad anymore. Like you said, _you and him_ … just weren't meant to be. A guy like that who had way too many chances with you and ended up wasting all of it, don't deserve you. He's not worth it. You deserve better." Ino then started pouting her lips and cooing at her. "Be okay. Pretty please. Please say you're going to be fine. Hm. Hm. Hmmm~"

Sakura chuckled at Ino's actions.

"There it is. That's the smile I'm looking for.", Ino smirked. "Oh Sakura, trust me, someone as pretty and as nice and as smart as you, you're going to find that lucky guy who's meant for you someday. You're going to be happy. Just you wait."

"Y-Yeah. I think it's about time I seriously get over him. This is getting out of hand. I'm so pathetic.", Sakura admitted and took a deep breath. "It's time to move on."

Sai smiled as soon as she was sure that both girls weren't as upset as they were earlier. "I'm going to head out for a bit. You girls need anything you want me to buy? Ice cream perhaps? Chocolate?"

Sakura and Ino giggled.

"Yes please.", Sakura told him.

"That's my boyfriend for you." Ino was proud.

Sai moved away from the door and left the two girls sniggering and teasing one another all while wrapped in each other's hands.

**.**

**.**

**.**

-A Few Months Later-

Sakura came down from the bus and stepped into the pavement. She was wearing a white short sleeved blouse tucked into black midi skirt and a pair of red ankle strap heels. She paused to observe the pink petals as it slowly fell from the cherry blossom trees planted beside the road.

"Forehead!"

Sakura turned to look at Ino who had just arrived as well. Ino was wearing a denim jacket over a white and blue t-shirt dress and a pair of white platform sandals. Behind Ino were Shizune who was wearing a black maternity dress and Tsunade who was wearing a green business cocktail dress.

"Ino. Dr. Shizune. Dr. Tsunade." Sakura adjusted her red shoulder bag as she made a move to join them.

"We just got off work. How's the day off by the way?", wondered Tsunade.

"I got plenty of rest."

"Nice outfit~", Ino remarked. "Are you ready for your date, whoever he is?"

Sakura sighed. "I just hope Kiba's not setting me up with one of his weird friends."

"Well, good luck with that.", said Shizune.

The four women continued on their small banter as they walked towards a store.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Happy Birthday~!", Tsunade sung as soon as she saw the old woman behind the counter.

"Ah! Tsunade!", the old lady beamed. "Dear me, just look at you… Just how many surgeries have you had up to this point to stay young-looking like that?!"

"Shut up 'Nekobaa'!"

"No one's called me that in years!"

Sakura, Ino and Shizune felt awkward as the two elder women suddenly broke into laughter.

"Tamaki!", the old lady called.

"Granny?", answered her youngest granddaughter as she came running from the other room. "Oh. Hello everyone."

"Tamaki. Escort our guest to the garden will you. I'll join them shortly as soon as your sister comes back from the airport."

"Yes Granny. Come everyone. Right this way." Tamaki asked everyone to follow her.

"You lot go on ahead. I'll stay and wait with this old hag.", said Tsunade.

"Foul mouthed as ever. You can make yourself look young again but you can never do something about that horrible attitude of yours."

Despite the words coming out of their mouths, both woman were obviously happy to see each other and very pleased with each other's company.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura and the others followed Tamaki through the residential area behind the store.

"The other guests are already in the garden.", Tamaki informed them.

Before they know it, they were walking into the garden where a feast had been set up to celebrate the shop owner's birthday.

"You can help yourself with the drinks. As for me, I have to return to the kitchen and finish preparing the main course."

"Tamaki." Another old lady called from the gazebo. "Where's your grandmother? Are we not starting yet?"

"Granny will be with you shortly. She's just waiting for Oneesan. Jun hasn't returned from school yet either."

"I see. Oh. It's Sakura." The old lady recognized her.

"Excuse me." Tamaki made a move to go back into the kitchen.

"Maybe I can help you with something.", Shizune offered then followed her.

"Hello Granny Chiyo. So nice to see you again." Sakura greeted the old lady as they approached the gazebo.

"Sasori. She's here.", Chiyo called someone at the far side of the garden before turning to Ino. "Ah. Ino. Beautiful as always. How have you been?"

"I'm doing great Granny Chiyo." Ino sat beside Chiyo and started chatting with her.

Sakura turned to where Chiyo looked at before and saw Sasori talking with Tamaki's husband.

Sasori and Kiba acknowledge the new arrivals.

Sakura smiled and waved at Sasori who then returned the gesture.

Kiba asked Sasori if he wanted to go back and he nodded so both men and the dog walked towards the gazebo.

"Hey Sakura.", Kiba greeted her as he got close to the gazebo.

"Hi Kiba."

"You ready to meet this guy or what?" Kiba kept walking until he passed her.

Sakura turned on her heel. "He better not be some psycho or I'm punching the daylights out of you."

Kiba shrugged then turned around to raise his hand to her. "Guess you'll just have to see and find out." He then continued on his way back to the house, followed by his dog.

Sakura turned back to Sasori. "Hi. How are you?"

"I'm great. How are You?"

"Doing better. Oh. Naruto sends his regards by the way."

"Really? How's his arm? More importantly… How's he holding up now that he can't erm… return to military service?"

"He's holding up well. He's just really happy he gets to watch his son grow up. He said he's going to try writing books instead. He said he already found someone to help him with his first manuscript."

"Oh. That's good to hear. He's optimistic as ever. A writer huh?"

"Yeah."

"So… you… Want to walk around the garden while we wait?" Sasori raised a hand gesturing for the garden and Sakura got a good look at his wedding ring.

"Sure." Sakura put down her shoulder bag in the chair beside Ino.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Not far from the gazebo, Sakura and Sasori strolled at the wide garden enclosed by massive buildings surrounding the property.

"So you're really going to meet this guy huh?"

"Kiba's been pestering me about it for a while now. I might as well give him a chance."

"Anyway, I'm just happy that you're giving this a chance. You're giving 'yourself' a chance. You deserve to be happy Sakura. Don't give up, Okay?"

Sakura gave Sasori a smile in response.

_("Sakura!")_

Sakura and Sasori turned to look at Kiba who was waving his hands up in the air enthusiastically.

"You better get ready because my man's on his way!", yelled Kiba.

"I… I… I need to use the restroom."

Sasori chuckled.

"Excuse me."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura stepped out of the restroom and let out a sigh. She then heard faint murmurs so she slowly made her way to the receiving room.

She then saw Kiba talking to a man that Sakura remembered back from High school.

**['Wait… Him?']**

The tall man who was wearing sunglasses noticed her.

**['I was seen.']**

"Err…"

Kiba was also alerted of her presence. "Oh. Sakura. Do you remember this guy? He said he knows you from High school."

"Uhm. Yeah. I remember him too. A-Aburame Shino, right? We were in the same graduating class."

The man named Shino nodded to her.

"H-Hi. Nice to see you again."

The silent man adjusted his shades. "Yes. It's nice to see you as well, Haruno."

"So… uhm…"

Kiba picked up on Sakura's wrong assumption. "Oh. Did you think he was- No. It's not him."

Shino looked confused.

"This is not the guy I'm setting you up with. No." Kiba laughed. "He's one of my friends and a regular customer here. He's actually here quite often. You two have been here at the same time before. You just didn't notice him. But that's when he told me that he knew you."

"Oh. O-Okay then…" Sakura blushed. "I-"

Jun suddenly burst into the room. "Is mom here yet?"

"No buddy." Kiba answered the overly excited kid. "But they're well on their way so you better wash up and get ready for dinner before they arrives"

Jun was very eager to comply. "Miss Sakura! Hi!"

"Hi.", she greeted back.

The boy seemed overly happy as he went upstairs to his bedroom.

Sakura then turned to Kiba. "Who is this guy you want me to meet then? Seriously?"

Kiba just shrugged at her in response before leaving her alone to go with his friend.

…

Sakura wrinkled her forehead.

She then decided to go back to the garden but as she walked by the stairs she slowed down. She just had an idea so she stopped. She looked up and debated within herself. She shook her head and walked away from the stairs only to turn around and quickly ascend to the second floor.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Jun?", she called before knocking on the boy's bedroom door. "Jun?"

"Yes, Miss Sakura?", the boy asked from inside his room. "Hold on, I'm changing."

"Hi… Err… Sorry to impose on you like this but…" Sakura looked around her to make sure that no one else was around before turning back to the thirteen-year-old boy. "You wouldn't happen to know who this guy Kiba is-"

Sakura fell silent as she stared at the name tag hanging on Jun's door.

'Jun U.'

"What's that?" Jun opened the door and stepped aside to let Sakura into his room.

"I... erm..." Sakura made the most of the boy's hospitality. "The uhm... guy that... By the way Jun, I don't believe I've ever met your father."

"Oh. H-He died."

"I-I'm sorry to hear that. I-"

"That's okay. It was a long time ago. I didn't even get the chance to meet him."

"Oh. that must be- That must've been hard." Sakura crossed her arm and leaned on to the desk.

"Not really. I know everything I need to know about him from the stories my mom told me. Besides, I have that." Jun pointed at the book shelf beside Sakura.

Sakura looked at the particular spot Jun was pointing at and then noticed a very familiar item stashed within Jun's bookshelf.

Her eye's widened as she slowly uncrossed her arms. "C- May I?"

Jun nodded.

She moved closer and pulled out a scrapbook that she remembered, was given to Sasuke by his brother. She mustered the courage to open the first page and felt her knees go weak as she read the exact same dedication that would confirm her hunch. "H-How did you? Where did this?"

"My uncle gave it to me. I only met him personally two years ago though." Jun was very fond of talking about him. "But even before then, he always sent me presents and other stuff. He never misses a birthday or Christmas." Jun gestured to his old toys that were now neatly displayed on a rack. "He visits us often lately. He comes to play with me. But now that I'm getting older we just… 'Hang out' you know… Like big guys.", continued Jun. "He's really cool. He's my best friend… He takes care of me and my mom… He's the dad I never had…" As Jun continued talking Sakura faltered towards the bed and flopped down onto it.

"Miss Sakura?" Jun was suddenly worried for her because she looked troubled.

She had her left hand over her mouth as she tried to lay the scrapbook down on the bed only for it to end up on the floor. The sound of the book making contact on the floor snapped Sakura out of her daze and she quickly got down on the floor to pick it up. "I- I'm sorry. I'll fix it."

"It's okay. Are you alright?" Jun got down on his knees and to help her.

"Y-Yes. I'm sorry." As she was picking up the scrapbook, a bunch of Polaroid pictures fell off. Sakura placed the scrap book on her lap and checked which pages the pictures might've fallen off from but then she realized that all the page covers were properly intact. In fact, there wasn't even a single page that appeared like a photo was taken out of it.

They began gathering the face down pictures and when she took a look at them, she learned that it was mostly of a couple. One of them she recognized as Jun's mother when she was younger. The other was a young man that resembled Sasuke so much.

**['Is this… Itachi?']**

…

**/"That scrap book is a compilation of the most significant memories Itachi had made. Wonderful places where he had been that he wished Sasuke could've also seen. Locations of significant people that had made a strong impression on him, people that he desired for Sasuke to get the chance to meet as well.**

**That is a map. A map for Sasuke to follow. It's a… way for him to catch up to his brother. A way for him to see what his brother saw. Experience what he experienced. Appreciate what he appreciated. A way for Sasuke to love life in this world the same way Itachi did even after losing their parents. In a matter of speaking, this was Itachi's way of giving Sasuke a reason to keep on living even though he would leave him as well."/**

…

Sakura lingered at one particular picture. She was easily able to tell that it was taken at Otogakure because the background was the very bar she tended. Not to mention, Orochimaru was captured in that photo. That was the only picture wherein Jun's mother was alone.

"My father took that photo. That's my mom when she was still thirteen.", Jun shared. "They both learned the piano from that man." Jun pointed at Orochimaru. "She told me that he would let them into his bar just so they could play the piano."

"D-did your mom used to... live in Konoha?"

"Yeah. They said they moved here... uhm the same year that picture was taken."

**...**

**/"...Itachi made an impression on my uncle and so he decided to adopt Itachi. And Itachi agreed to the adoption despite knowing that he would have to part with Sasuke, who obviously had to remain here and succeed their parent's businesses instead.**

**Itachi was then brought to Tokyo where he was raised by my uncle, along with his other adopted son; Shisui… to well become successors..."/**

**...**

**['Did he... went after her?']**

Sakura finally noticed a pattern. The pictures tell a story. Itachi had first met Jun's mother through Orochimaru. Then they were reunited when he moved to Tokyo. It was obvious how they were gradually becoming close with each picture. They started as friends who were only hanging out together but they eventually fell in love and became a couple. Each picture was taken at every stop Sasuke was supposed to visit on his journey.

**['These pictures… were the pieces.']**

…

**/"It is also a game in a way that, for every location specified in that book, Itachi has left a piece of himself. Those pieces are like a puzzle…"/**

…

Then Sakura came across the last picture. It was the only picture that was not taken in any of the places featured in the scrapbook. The picture was taken in front of the very building she was in right now.

**['This was supposed to be his last destination.']**

Sakura then noticed that in that picture, Jun's mother was at least fourteen weeks pregnant.

**['It's Jun.']**

…

**/"If Sasuke completes the journey, he gets all the pieces and it reveals a location where he would find what Itachi had left behind for him…"/**

…

**/"The day Itachi left Konoha, he promise Sasuke that he'll only be gone for a short while and when he returns, they would play again together. But by then, Sasuke already knew too well that Itachi was lying. … That is why Itachi worked so hard to put this together for Sasuke. To make it up to him and to fulfil his last promise to him."/**

…

**/"He comes to play with me."/**

…

Sakura couldn't explain it but for some reason she felt relieved. "He did get to complete his journey. I… I'm so glad. I'm so glad. I'm so happy for him." Sakura felt like she could breathe again for the first time after being suffocated by her guilt for a very long time.

"Hmm, you know about the journey? Did mom tell you how my uncle and I followed this map?"

"The both of you did?"

"Yes."

"When he gave this to you?"

"No. I was only four or five when he gave this to my mother. It was before he moved to another country."

"Before?"

**['But I saw it... It was there when I...']**

**...**

**/"Come on in. It has its own bathroom but it's joined to the next room. It was Itachi's but I heard that Sasuke often used it whenever Naruto came here for a sleepover."/**

**/"You haven't cleared this room yet?"/**

**/"No. Not yet."/**

**...**

**/"Sasuke-kun really was a wonderful person. He was so kind. So beautiful and captivating. I love him so much. I really, really love him. The truth is that even after everything he said to me I still do. And I'll probably love him for a little longer too… Please tell him that… I'm really glad I fell in love with him."/**

**/"He knows."/**

**...**

**['He was there. He was still there.']**

**...**

**/"I… I'm sorry did I wake you up with that alarm?"/**

**/"No. I'm usually up at this time. Obito has also left hours ago."/**

**...**

_("Jun!")_

"It's Okaasan!" Jun beamed. "Miss Sakura, they're here. He's here. My uncle's here!"

Jun ran out of the room leaving Sakura, who was still frozen in place.

**.**

**.**

**.**


	43. 9.4

A/N: So we come to the end. Sorry for any inconsistencies, grammatical errors or misspellings that I might've missed. Thank you for sticking to this story. Hope I was able to redeem every character at some point. You may have noticed, I don't like writing bad characters so no one really played an antagonist in this story.

OAN: With the plot and the characters I thought this story would be way too predictable so I had to throw in a lot of stuff in there to give all of you a hell of a ride. But were the clues still obvious or what? To anyone who still saw the ending coming, I'm so proud of you.

Also, did anyone realize the taxi/car thing? You'll know what I'm talking about soon.

**(9.4)**

Sakura slowly descends the stairs. She could hear all the commotion coming from the other room. Jun definitely sounded the happiest.

…

**/"…He's really cool. He's my best friend… He takes care of me and my mom… He's the dad I never had…"/**

…

…

…

Sakura peeked into the room and saw Sasuke – handsome as ever in his purple dress shirt tucked inside well fitted black slacks – standing beside Jun's mother as they listen to the young boy talk.

That's when an image suddenly flashed in her mind.

She recalled seeing Sasuke standing near a road with a woman that she once assumed was his girlfriend. Someone she once assumed was Rin.

**['Taxi. He hailed a taxi. Rin had a car.']**

...

"Miss Sakura. What are you doing just standing there?" Jun saw her and called her over. "I want you to meet my uncle."

Sakura was frozen in place as Sasuke's eyes were suddenly on her.

"Sakura?" Jun's mother looked worried.

...

Now that Sakura thought about it, the woman's height and built were similar to Jun's mother. she also had the same shade of brown hair that Sakura remembered despite the hat. most of all she had the very same mole under her left eye. Sakura thought that she was just mistaken about it before because Rin didn't have one.

Since Sakura remembered mistaking her for Rin once, she realized that she may have done it in another occasion. It was on the night that Sasuke had asked Rin to pick her up. She had assumed that Rin was the same girl who was wearing the all black attire at the bar. The girl that Sasuke dedicated his song to.

...

**/"I dedicate this to… that- That… special person out there who makes… who made being alive feels like… a blessing."/**

...

Sakura was still unable to move.

"Sakura.", said Sasuke.

Sakura snapped out of her daze. She looked alternately between Sasuke and Jun's mother. "I... Izumi. Eight years ago, y-you were in Konoha."

Rin looked at Sasuke and then turned back to Sakura. "Y-Yes. I was. I was in Konoha for three days. I visited the grave of Jun's father. It was the first time I could after hearing about his... his death so late."

"I'm s-sorry. I- I... Y-You were at Otogakure."

"I went to check on the place because I heard that it was open again. I met Sasuke for the first time and introduced myself as his brother's lover. But I never told him about Jun. I didn't know why Itachi kept his condition from me. Before then, I thought he just bailed on me after he got me pregnant so, I wasn't sure if his family wanted to have anything to do with us." Izumi smiled at Sakura. "Sasuke only told me a few months back that you were the girl on the motorcycle. You saw me- Us. We were talking about Itachi and we were so happy to have met each other. We just missed him so much and I... _I_ missed him so much- Back then... I couldn't help myself, Sasuke reminded me so much of Itachi."

Sakura looked at Sasuke. "But... you told me that she was someone you adored."

"Back then, I knew that that was what you wanted to hear." Sasuke told her. "But yes. Izumi is very important to me. He was my b-"

"Is Izumi-san the one you were talking about?"

Sasuke was confused for a moment but then he realized what she meant. "W- … _No_! I was talking about y-"

"Izumi-ne~", Kiba suddenly walked into the room. "Sasuke! You're finally here! Oh. You two already met huh?"

"W-What?" Sakura was suddenly reminded of her own arrangement. "W-Wait! You mean-"

Kiba walked towards them unable to read the atmosphere. "Well Sakura? This is the guy I've been talking about. This guy's been stalking you for the past two years. Of course he only admitted his interest in you a few months ago but you weren't interested to meet him at all until now."

The whole time Kiba was talking Sakura and Sasuke were just looking at each other.

…

**/"So you're interested in someone?"/**

**/"Yes. But, I'm not confident enough to ask her out yet. … I'm just afraid that she hasn't moved on yet. A very horrible jerk broke her heart once. She might not be ready to be in a relationship again just yet. I heard she's not interested to date anyone as of now."/**

…

"You." Sasuke finished his sentence. "It's always been just _you_."

…

**/"You? How's your… heart? I mean are you…"/**

**/"Oh I'm- I'm okay. Well, I'm not 'in a relationship' yet but… my friends… They are really keen on introducing me to… someone… I- I think I'm going to go for it."/**

**/"Seriously?"/**

**/"Yeah. Why not?..."/**

…

Sakura felt like she was played.

"… So… what do you think? Uchiha Sasuke himself?", Kiba continued.

"…"

"Sakura?"

Sakura took two steps back, turned around and ran away from Sasuke.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura quickly made her way to the garden.

Tamaki was serving the three elder women who had started drinking Sake by then.

"There she is!", Tsunade pointed at her. "Sakura. Come have a drink with us. You should see this girl drink. She can hold her liquor."

"Is that so~" Chiyo seemed surprised.

"Join us Sakura."

"I'm sorry Granny. I- I can't stay. I have to go.", said Sakura as she walked into the gazebo and immediately fetch her bag.

"Is something the matter?", wondered Shizune.

"I- I just have to leave _now_. But… Happy birthday Granny and enjoy the rest of the evening. Bye everyone."

Sakura turned around and began walking away despite everyone's protest.

"Forehead? What the hell is going on?" Ino was confused as to why Sakura was suddenly very eager to leave.

Sakura suddenly stopped and that's when Ino saw Sasuke making his way to the gazebo with Kiba, Izumi and Jun.

"What the hell is he doing here?!", Ino blurted.

"Why? What's going on?"

"You mean Sasuke?"

Sakura decided to ignore the uproar building up behind her and made a move to get passed the man up ahead.

"Sakura.", Sasuke tried to talk to her again but she side stepped him.

"Leave me alone!", she snapped at him then ran back to the house.

Sasuke was very eager to talk to him and so he ran after her.

"Hey! Stop right th-" Ino wanted to stop Sasuke but Sasori held her in place. "S-Sasori?!"

"Let them talk."

"But… Wait! Did you know he was coming all along?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sakura ran all the way through the residential area and made her way to the store.

"Sakura. Wait.", Sasuke was right behind him.

Sakura stopped and stared into the dark room.

"It's locked." Sasuke spoke from behind her. "They closed the store already. If you want to leave you have to use the other door."

Sakura started looking around.

"You don't know where the other exit is do you?", Sasuke smirked.

Sakura glared at him before leaving him there.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Sakura. Listen." Sasuke was still following Sakura as she backtracked into the hallway.

Sakura slowed down as she noticed a four way intersection up ahead.

"Take the left.", Sasuke suggested.

Sakura turned to glare at her before going right.

Sasuke sighed as she followed her. "Will you at least let me explain? Sakura. Talk to me."

"Talk?! You want to talk?" Sakura sneered at him as she continued her search for a way out. "What for? So you can sweet talk me again? So you can sweep me off my feet again only to… only to…"

Sakura stopped as she reached the end of the hallway and saw no exit. She then turned to look at him and so he stopped as well.

"You lied to me!"

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. "I told you it was the left."

"You lied to me before and I forgave you! I tried to move on like you asked me to. I tried to be happy even though- Eight years. It's been _eight long frustrating years_!" Sakura started poking Sasuke in the chest. "When I saw you again at the wedding, I realized that I was _still_ in love with you. But then, you told me you were already interested in someone… I- I was has happy for you! Even though you broke my heart _again_ I was genuinely happy for you!"

Sakura drew her hand back before Sasuke could hold it. "So here I am, once again trying to move on and now you're telling me that I was the one you were talking about. That it has always been me… That all this time you've been… Looking out for me? Watching me? You knew how to find me. _A few months back?!_ You had the chance to-" Sakura realized something as she was trying to get past him. "That dress! It was from you wasn't it?"

"None of this was planned Sakura." Sasuke told her as she walked past him. "You found your own way to be connected to these people. Two years ago, when I finally got the chance to go back here in Japan, I checked on them and... I wasn't expecting to find you here. But I was glad I did. I was glad that… at the end of that 'journey', it was _you_ that I found."

Sakura turned around to face him once again. "Two years? Then… you should know everything I've been through! You knew where I was yet you never once showed yourself! You never talked to me! … This is it. This is the one time I actually gave myself a chance to meet somebody else… a chance to probably open my heart again and… it's _you_! It's you again! You want me to go through 'this' again?! And you knew all along yet… knowing everything I've been through… you had the guts to go through with this and show yourself to me?! Just what kind of game are you playing here?! What exactly do you want from me?!"

"All of you." Sasuke said matter of fact. "I want all of you."

"Stop it!" Sakura walked away from him again. "Just stop messing with me!"

"I'm not messing with you. I'm not playing with you!" Sasuke went after her again. "I wasn't ready then. I had nothing to offer you then. But now… Sakura, I'm not going back to the States!"

Sakura slowed down.

"I'm staying. _For good_. I know I lied to you… again and again. And I ended up hurting you _again and again_. I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I'm always hurting you. But I'm so selfish and I want you so bad that here I am again."

"No! No more! I can't-"

"I want to tell you the truth. I want to tell you everything now. And if you give me a chance, I promise I'll make all your insecurities go away. This time for good."

Sakura came to a full stop. "And how will I be sure that you're not just going to lie to me again?!" Sakura slowly turned to face him. "You've pretty much proven how good you are at lying when it's convenient for you."

"You know how sometimes you have to lie?"

"What?!"

"Lie to yourself for the sake of others. Lie to others for the sake of yourself. Let others believe in those lies. Let yourself believe in your own lies because if not, then what was the point of lying about it from the start."

Sakura was starting to recognize the words that Sasuke was telling her at that moment.

Sasuke suddenly grabbed Sakura's hand.

"What are you-"

Sasuke fetched something from his pocket and gave Sakura back something she had long lost.

"These are my- Y-You had it all this time?"

…

_~Those hardest to love need it most …~_

…

"Those hair clips made me believe in my own pretence. In lies that would comfort me. It made me think that sometimes it's okay to run away from the truth. It helped me make selfish decisions and be stubborn enough to live with it despite knowing that I was doing something wrong, something I would regret because, I felt like I was doing it for the right reason and that it was something I had to do no matter what."

Sasuke finally let go of her hand that now held the hairclips.

"Just like when I told you that I was only fooling around with you because I didn't want to admit that I… ended up falling in love with you. I ended up falling in love with the same girl that my best friend liked. I guess… I realized too late as well that I was already a goner."

Sakura looked into Sasuke's eyes.

"I was holding really tight onto it inside my pocket when I told you all those horrible things that night. I didn't know where else to borrow the strength to turn you down. I- I… knew that I was in love with you but… I was afraid that if I allowed myself to love you then… I was afraid to push it too far. I had tried to kiss you even before you told me that you love me. I didn't know what I'd do to you after… I was afraid that I won't be able to stop myself and just… I just didn't want to do something to you that you would end up regretting afterwards. That I would end up regretting afterwards. I couldn't stay. I had to leave no matter what."

"…"

"Do you remember that time my uncle's men picked us up because he wanted to talk to me?"

Sakura nodded.

"A part of me already knew then that I wanted to spend more time with you. Instead of resuming my travel, I had asked my uncle for a favor then. I asked him to find the young girl in a picture that my brother had left at Otogakure. When you saw me talking with my grandfather in front of the hospital, it was that moment when my grandfather had come with the result of the investigation. Izumi was my brother's girlfriend. The same girl I met at Otogakure. He disappeared from her life right after he learned that he had cancer. The reason why he didn't want other people to know of his condition was because he didn't want the news to reach Izumi who was pregnant when he left her. By the time we found out about her, she was raising Jun on her own despite her family not doing so well then. My grandfather offered to give them money, but I had to work for it. I had to fulfil my brother's obligation to his son in his place. I couldn't say no. I also didn't want to. Yes, I could've stayed and took over Rinnegan instead. I'd still be able to support Jun then and be _with you_ but… What does that leave my uncle and Rin? And just who would my grandfather sacrifice next just to fill the position in the U.S. headquarters? It was a practical decision for me to inherit the company as planned.

It was because I fell in love with you that I knew how important Izumi was to my brother and Rin to my uncle."

Sakura cast her eyes downwards. When she finally understood everything, every bit of anger and frustration was replaced by compassion and admiration for Sasuke.

"Ever since Naruto told me that he had no place in your heart because it was already taken up by me, the desire to come back home and be with you has haunted me.", continued Sasuke, making Sakura looked at him again. "Whenever Rin or Karin or Suigetsu would bring you up, the hope of being able to have another shot with you would resurface inside of me. Sakura I didn't spend the past years getting over you. I wasn't even trying to. I spent it all to reach a compromise with my grandfather so that I can get back here and finally be with you. But yes. Like you said, it took eight long frustrating years. _Eight years_! Eight years and I, now a grown man still held onto your accessories!"

"W-Why didn't you just tell me everything at the wedding?"

"I- I told you I was afraid! I really was! I was afraid that you weren't ready. I saw how hard you tried to avoid me that day. I thought that deep inside, you might still hate me. But then, things suddenly… Things started going smoothly and it was good. It was suddenly all too good and I could've told you then. I tried to. But, I couldn't because I was afraid that everything that was happening between the two of us that night was just on the... spur of the moment – a moment that you weren't expecting to last and so you would just want to make the most out of it. But that's not what I want and, I wasn't sure what you wanted but, I know what _I_ wanted and I... I wanted you. I _really_ wanted you. I want no one else but you. I- I _love_ you. I love you! But do you still-"

In one swift motion Sakura dropped her bag and the hairclips, grabbed Sasuke by his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss.

…

…

…

Sasuke sighed as Sakura parted her lips from his.

…

_~… The two of us so out of place_

_My feelings written on my face_

_Got what I want but now I'm scared_

_What if we ruin it all, and we love like fools?_

_And all we have we lose?_

_And I don't want you to go but I want you so_

_So tell me what_

_Tell me what we choose_

_What we choose_

_What we choose_ ~

…

"Well?" Sakura was still holding him by his shirt as she alternately looked between Sasuke's eyes and lips.

Sasuke was doing the same thing.

"Eight long frustrating years just, for _this_?" Her voice was shaky.

Sasuke finally held Sakura as if he was never ever going to let her go. "Worth it.", he told her before kissing her in an unrepressed manner.

…

~ _What if we ruin it all, and we love like fools?_

_And all we have we lose?_

_And I don't want you to go but I want you so_

_So tell me what_

_Tell me what_

_Tell me what we choose_

_(FOOLS – Lauren Aquilina)~_

…

Sasuke gently pushes Sakura towards a door while kissing her fervently. He turned them both around, reached for the door knob and led her into the room.

She closed the door behind them.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**_Noir_ **

**(9.4)**

**FOOLS (Reload)**

…

…

_Call it magic, call it true_

_I call it magic when I'm with you_

_And I just got broken, broken into two_

_Still I call it magic, when I'm next to you_

_And I don't, and I don't, and I don't, and I don't_

_No I don't, it's true_

_I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't_

_Want anybody else but you_

_I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't_

_No I don't, it's true_

_I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't_

_Want anybody else but you_

_Ooh ooh ooh_

_Call it magic, cut me into two_

_And with all your magic, I disappear from view_

_And I can't get over, can't get over you_

_Still, I call it magic, such a precious truth_

_And I don't, and I don't, and I don't, and I don't_

_No I don't, it's true_

_I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't_

_Want anybody else but you_

_I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't_

_No I don't, it's true_

_I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't_

_Want anybody else but you_

_Wanna fall, I fall so far_

_I wanna fall, fall so hard_

_And I call it magic_

_And I call it true_

_Call it magic_

_Ooh ooh ooh_

_Ooh ooh ooh_

_Ooh ooh ooh_

_Ooh ooh ooh_

_And if you were to ask me_

_After all that we've been through_

_Still believe in magic?_

_Well yes, I do_

_Oh yes, I do_

_Oh yes, I do_

_Oh yes, I do_

_Of course I do_

_(MAGIC – Coldplay)_

…

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_END_ **

**Thank you for reading.**


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